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TEHHIFIC TAILES. 



TERRIFIC TALES, 



BY 



ISABELLA LEWJES* 



** Black Spirits and White, 
'* Red Spirits and Grey, 
** Mingle, Mingle, ^linglcy 
*' You that rhinglc may/' 



k 




\ — 


■ 


Scale of Dragon, 


tooth of Wolf, 


Witches miiJiimy 


, maw and gulf. 




Macbeth 



<■ 



LON'DOX : 

Printed by R. Cantwell, 33, Bc'.l-Yard, Temple-Bar, 

fOR J,}\ HUGHES, NO. i5, W IG MORL-iiTIlEET, 

C A V L N D 1 S H - S Q I' A R E . 

1804. 






s\ 




TERRIFIC TALES. 



The Count of Macon, in the midst of life and 
health, transported into the air by a 
spectre in the shape of a horse* 



The Count of Macon, a gentleman of 
very inordinate passions, exercised a 
species of tyranny against the eccle- 
siastics and their adherents without 
giving himself the least concern either 
to conceal or give colour to his ex- 
cesses. He even made a boast of 
tliem, and practised them openly. 
One day being seated in his palace, 
accompanied by a numerous train of 
nobihty and others, a stranger on 
B horseback 



(2 ) 

horseback was seen to enter, who ad- 
vanced towards him, and said, " that 
havinj? something of importance to 
communicate, he desired that he 
Avould follow him. " The Count arose, 
and having arrived at the^door, foif^d 
a horse waiting for him; he mounM 
and was immediately conveyed into 
the air, exclaiming with an awful 
voice to those who were present, " as- 
sistance, for heaven s sake assistance.'' 
The whole town were alarmed and ran 
to his exclamations; however, they 
very soon lost sight of him, and had 
no doubt but the demon had carried 
him off with him to be a companion 
of his torments, as a punishment for 
his excessive passions. 

Pierre, the venerable abbot of 
Cluni, relates this extraordinary fact 

happened 



( 3) 

liappened in his days, and seen by tlie 
Avhole city of Macon, in his work 
intituled : Petrus venerab. lib, 2, de 
miracuiiSj Chap. \st. page 1299- 



B 2 Captain 



(4 ) 

Captain Dc^pilliers and one of his soldiers 
nearly smothered between the bed and 
mattniss hij an invisible hand. 

Count Despilliers the elder, 
when young, and captain of the cui- 
rassiers, took up his winter quarters 
in Flanders. One of his cavaliers 
came one day to beg of him to 
change his host, saying, ^' that every 
night a spectre haunted him in his 
room and prevented him sleeping/' 
The Count dismissed his cavalier, 
and laughed at his simplicity. A few 
days after this, the same cavalier went 
to make him the same entreaty; Avhen 
the captain irritated, would have dis- 
charged a volley of coups de baton at 
him, had he not with great agility left 
the room. At length he returned a 
third time to the charge, and protested 

to 



(5 ) 

to his captain that he could put up 
with it no longer, and should be 
obliged to desert, provided his quar- 
ters were not changed. Despilliers, 
who knew the cavalier to be a brave 
soldier and extremely sensible, said 
to him with an oath; " I will go and 
sleep in the same room with you to 
nighty and see what it is." 

About ten o'clock in the evening 
the captain went to the cavalier's 
lodging; and having put his pistols 
upon the table, laid down in his 
cloaths, in a bed without curtains, 
with his sword beside him. About 
twelve o'clock he heard something 
come into the room, turned the bed 
topsy-turvy, and enclosed the soldier 
and his captain under the mattrass 
and paillasse. Despilliers had the 

greatest 



( e) 

greatest trouble in tlie world to dis- 
en<rau:e liimselfto find his sword and 
pistols again, M'hen lie returned home 
Avith them agitated and confused. 
The Cavalier's quarters were changed 
the next day, where he slept tranquilly 
at the house of his new host. 



Mr. Despilliers related this adven- 
ture to every body that wished to 
liear him ; he was a man of undaunted 
courage, and had never known Avhat 
it was to retreat. When he died he 
was field marshal to the armies of the 
Emperor Charles VI. and governor 
of the fortress of Segedin. 



The 



( 7 ) 



The body of a woman that had been hanged 
invested by the devil. 

It happened at Paris, on the 1st 
of January 1613, during those heavy 
falls of rain which at that period in- 
undated tlie country, that a young 
gentleman of that city^ who was re- 
turning home about four o'clock in 
the afternoon from the house of one 
of his friends with whom he had 
passed the major part of the day, he 
met in a little alley, a young lady 
very handsomely dressed (apparently 
some courtezan) in a robe of pinked 
taffety adorned m ith a pearl necklace, 
and several other brilliant and appa- 
rently rich jewels, who as if astonish- 
ed, and yet with a smile upon her 
countenance addressed the gentlemar>, 

and 



( 8 ) 

and said, *' Although, Sir, this tem- 
pestuous weather does not suffer me 
to commit myself to its mercy, I 
would at all times rather he exposed 
to it, than for it to he said, that I am 
the least inconvenience in the world 
to any one; occupying here without 
any permission, the entrance to your 
lodging; hut should it he a thing 
that I can do without incurring your 
displeasure, I shall he as much ohliged 
to you for it as any one of those who 
have ever had the honor of being 
your most affectionate servants." The 
gentleman looking at her attentively, 
jiRlging by the exterior, and obser- 
ving the politeness with which she 
accosted him, thought it his duty to 
return it, as well by words as actions, 
consequently replied : '' I am exceed- 
ingly sorry, Miss, that my arrival has 

been 



(9) 

been too tardy for you to be enabled 
to witness the service that I have at 
all times devoted to the ladies, and 
principally to those of your quality; 
in order to verify my assertion I not 
only make you the offer of my lodg- 
ing, but of every thing that you 
think me empowered to bestow 
wherein I can render my most hum- 
ble services, and in the mean time 
I beg you would take the trouble to 
walk in, until the rain is over." The 
young lady said to him: ''I have 
never. Sir, merited the offer you 
n^ake me, but I will endeavour to re- 
turn it in some instance or othS* 
A\ hen an opportunity shall present it- 
self: however, I shall beg of you only 
to permit me to Avait here the arrival 
of my carriage, for which I have just 
now sent my servant/' '^ No/' said 

the 



( 10 ) 

the 2^entlcmaii, ^^ you m ill oblige me 
imicli to walk in aiul take part of a 
cold collation, till your carriage 
conies; and although you may not be 
receiv^ed according to your quality 
and merit, I will endeavour to render 
you every accomodation in my 
power/' 

At length, after much altercation 
on both sides, the young lady con* 
sented, and appeared exceedingly vex- 
ed at her servants' not coming. The 
day passed over without the lackey's 
havinsr legs, or the carriaw wheels, 
1?b arrive. Supper time being come, 
the gentleman endeavoured to treat 
her in the handsomest manner he was 
able. When it dreu^ near the hour for 
repose, the young lady intreated him, 
tliat since he had done her so much 

honor 



( n ) 

honor as to aftbrd her an asylum, that 
he would in addition to Ids favours 
accommodate her witli a single bed, 
hinting that it would not be becom- 
ing of a young lady to admit any one 
to partake of it; which he readily 
o-ranted. ^Vhile she was making pre- 
parations to pass the night alone, the 
o;entleman presumed to display his 
o-allantrv in conversation, to which 
she replied in such bewitching Ian- 
oHiage, that after a tedious parley be- 
tween love and honour, the young- 
hero was sechiced. During the night . 
he had a dream which tormented him 
exceedingly, respecting her who was 
sleeping by his side. The morning 
being come, he arose, and fearing lest 
any one should come and see him, and 
that finding the young lady, they 
might suppose something, he sent his 

servant 



( 12 ) 

servant to \vakc lier; to whom she re- 
plied, '' tliat she had had but very Ht- 
tle sleep ill the night, consequently 
begged that she might not be disturb- 
ed:'' to M'hicli the servant made no 
reply, related that to his master, who 
after havin^j made a few turns in the 
city, returned with some of his friends, 
but M'ould not suffer them to go into 
his chamber until he had first sent his 
man to beg of the young lady to get 
up. After all he resolved to go him- 
self, in order to excuse himself to her 
for his inattentions : when on enterins: 
the room, he drew the curtains, and 
having called her by several endearing 
names, he Mcnt to take her by the 
arm, but he felt her as cold as marble, 
and w ithout any pulse or breath what- 
ever; on wliich account being terrifi- 
ed, he called his host, but in vain; for 

he 



( 13 ) 

he being arrived accompanied by se- 
veral others, they found her a hfeless 
corse. The justice and physicians were 
sent for, wlio with one accord said 
that it was the body of a woman who 
some tune past had been hanged, and 
that it was a devil who had invested 
himself with her body in order to de- 
ceive that unfortunate gentleman. 

They liad scarcely uttered these 
M ords, l)ut in the sight of all, a thick 
and olxscure smoke arose in the bed, 
^vhich lasted for a few moments, and 
v.lth the most unpleasant odour; it 
clouded their senses in such a manner, 
that they lost sight, without knowing 
hoM' she had escaped that was in bed; 
in fine, the vapour diminishing, by 
degrees totally disappeared ; they only 
found the place where the carcase laid. 
C E^'cry 



( 14 ) 

Every one generally deplored the ac- 
cicknt that had befallen the young 
gentleman, m honi I leave you to sup- 
pose w hether he was astonished in hav- 
ing reposed the whole night with a 
demon, and that the effect of a thing 
so miraculous and difficult to believe, 
should have happened in his apart- 
ment. Were it only through the tes- 
timony of those who have heard of it, 
and the evidence of those who were 
present, it would be sufficient to con* 
firm it. 



The 



( 1^ ) 

The Ghost of Sancho three months after his 
death appearing to Pierre d'Englehert in 
Spain, at his bed-side by moon-light. 

Pierre dTxglebert being one 
night in his bed Vide awake, saw in 
liis chamber, by the hght of the 
moon, the spirit of a man named 
Sancho, whom he had several years 
before sent at his expence to the as- 
sistance of Alphonzo, King of Arra- 
gon, who was carr}nng on the war in 
Castile. Sancho returned from that 
expedition safe and sound. Some 
time after, he fell sick and died at his 
own house. 

Four months after his decease San- 
cho presented liin^sclf to Pierre d'En- 
glebcrt completely naked. lie set 
about uncoveriuii: the Avood ashes 

which 



( 16) 

^vhicll were still alig-ht in the fire-place, 
as if to w arm Iiimself, or in order to 
shew- himself more distinctly. Pierre 
asked him wlio he was. " I am," re- 
plied he, with a hroken and hollow 
voice, " Sancho your servant." — f 
" And what are you come to do 
here?"— '•! am going," said he, '' in- 
to Castile with several others, in or- 
der to expiate the ill that we did dur- 
ing the last war, at the same spot 
where it wus committed. As to what 
more particularly relates to me, I pil- 
laged the ornaments of a Church, and 
I am condemned on that account to 
undertake this journey. You can 
much assist me by your good works; 
and my lady your wife who is still 
indebted to me eight sous, being the 
residue of my salary, will oblige me 

infinitely 



C 17) 

infinitely to give tliem to the poor in 
my name. 

Pierre asked Iiim eoncerning a 
tViend of his, one Pierre de Pais, who 
^^'as but recently dead. Sancho told 
him that he was saved. ** And Ber- 
nier our fellow-citizen, what has be- 
come of him ?'' — •'" He is damned," 
said he, " for having badly acquitted 
himself in his othce as judge, and 
also for having harassed and pillaged 
tlie widow and the innocent.'' — Pierre 
added: — " Can you give me any in- 
telligence of Alphonzo, King of Ar- 
ragon, who died some few years 
since?" — At tliat moment another 
spectre that Pierre had never seen be- 
fore, and which he remarked distinct- 
ly by the light of the moon seated by 
tlie window, said : — " Do not ask 

him 



(18) 

liim about tlic King Alphonzo, he 
cannot tell you; he has not been long 
enough witli us to know any thing of 
liini. As for me I have been dead 
these five years, I can inform you. 
Alphonzo has been with us some time; 
but the monks of Cluni, have taken 
him from us: I do not know where 
he is now." — At the same time ad- 
dressing himself to his companion 
Sancho: — ^' Come/' said he, " let us 
follow our associates, it is time to de- 
part." — Sancho reiterated his impor- 
tunities to Pierre his lord, and left 
the house. 

Pierre awoke his wife, who Avas 
sleeping by his side, and who had nei- 
ther seen any thing ,nor heard any 
thing of this dialogue, aad asked her : 
^^ Do not you owe any thing to San- 
cho 



( 19 ) 

cho our servant ^v\\o died late- 
ly?'' '' Yes, I owe him eight sous/^ 

replied she. At these Avords Pierre no 
lono'er doubted of the truth of what 
Sancho liad told him ; gave the eight 
sous to the poor, added to them many 
of his own, and ordered mass and nu- 
merous prayers to be put up for the 
soul of the deceased. 

Pierre d'Engelbert, who after hav- 
ing lived a long time in that age, 
wherein he was reputed for valour 
and honor, retired after the death of 
his wife, in the order of Cluni, related 
tliis discourse in presence of the bi- 
shops of Oleron and Orman, in Spain, 
and several ecclesiastics, to Pierre, 
the venerable abbot of Cluni, who 
speaks of it in his work intituled, Pc- 
irus xcnerab. abb. CI unlet: dc viiraciil. 

lib. 1; chap. £8; /;. 12<}J. 

The 



f 20 ) 

The apparition of the Duke of Milan's bro- 
ther to two nierehants. 

About the beginning of the l6th 
century as two Merchants of Milan 
were <>-oing to the fair of Lyons in 
France, they met upon mount Cenis, 
near a place vulgarly called the devil's 
bridge, on account of a continual 
wind which blows there, a man un- 
commonly tall who presented to them 
a letter, commanded them to re- 
turn and commit that letter to his 
brotlicr Lewis. Astonished at that 
commission, they asked him who he 
was. The spirit replied, '^ I am Ga- 
leas Sfortta," — and disappeared. 

The Merchants returned to Milan, 
and from thence to Vigevans, where 
tlie duke of Milan was at that time, 

and 



( ^1 ) 

and committed to him the letter; 
liowever, they Mere arrested, throMii 
in prison, and interrogated as to tlie 
fact. After ha\'ini>' lain some time 
and ahvays persisting in their inno- 
cence, and by whom they were or- 
dered, they were set at Hberty. A 
counsellor belonging to the Duke, 
named Vincent Galeas, took the let- 
ter which was written upon paper 
and folded as they usually fold letters 
in Italy, sealed with a very fine brass 
wire; its contents were as follows: 

Lewis, Lewis, take care 
of yourself, the French and Venetians 
are forming an alliance against you, 
in order to ruin you; but if you Mill 
furnish me with three thousand pis- 
toles, I will endeavour to reconcile the 
spirits. '^— Adieu. 

The 



( 22 ) 

The superscription or signature was, 
'' The spirit of thy brother Galeas.'' 

Every one Avas surprized at this ad- 
venture. Some looked upon it as a 
jest, while others conceived it more ad- 
visable to make a deposit of the three 
thousand pistoles, in order to comply 
in some measure with the desire of 
Galeas; but the Duke refused listen- 
ing to it, and thought that he should 
be laughed at if he consented. 

The circumstance, however, proved 
true; for before the expiration of the 
year, duke Lewis was taken by the 
French and Venetians, who being 
leagued against him, made war and 
conducted him to France, where he 
died in prison. 



Ilobgoblms 



(23) 



IIobgoI)li?is that appeared near the cattle of 
Lnsiiinan in l620. 

Ox Wednesday evening 22d of 
July 16^0, there appeared between 
the castle of Lusignan and the park, 
seemingly upon the river, two men 
composed of fire extremely powerful 
in complete armor, Mith a flaming 
sword in one hand, and a burning 
lance in the other, who were attack- 
ing each other in the most vigorous 
combat; and being both armed with 
similar weapons, the contest lasted a 
considerable time; so that in the end 
one of the two who was wounded and 
falling gave such a horrible shriek 
that awoke several of the inhabitants 
of thehi<^h and low town. Soon after 
this battery was fuiished; a long train 

of 



( 24 ) 

of lire sccnicd to pass along the riv^er 
aiul ])enctratc into the park, followed 
by several liery monsters similar to 
monkies. Several poor people Avho 
were in the forest pi eking np sticks 
met this prodigy, which nearly frigh- 
tened them to death, and amongst 
others a poor labourer was so terrified, 
that it threw liim into a dano-erous 
fever which never left him. This was 
not all, for so m ere the soldiers alarm- 
ed M'ith the shriek that they had 
heard, that they mounted upon the 
walls to see from whence the voice 
proceeded. There passed over their 
heads an amazing Hock of birds, some 
black, others \vhite, screaming with 
a hideous and uncommon noise, pre- 
ceded by two flambeaux, and a figure 
resembling the complete form of a 
man followed them hooting like an 

owl. 



( 25 ) 

owl. The people were so alarmed at 
thi3 vision that they longed for the 
approach of day to relate their terrors. 



D Spectres 



( 26) 



Spectres that haunted the home of a Gentle^ 
man in Silesia through his rash wishes. 

In" 1609 a gentleman residing in Si- 
lesia having invited several of his 
• friends to dine Avith him, the hour of 
the sumptuous entertainment arrived. 
Seeing himself frustrated by the e:^- 
cuses of his guests, he entered his 
apartment in the greatest rage, and be- 
gan exclaiming — ^^ Since nobody will 
deign to visit me, may the devils par- 
ticipate my fete/'^ — Saying Avhich, he 
left his house, and Mcnt to church, 
Avhere the curate was prcacliing. He 
listened a long time with the greatest 
attention. Whilst he Mas there, several 
men on horseback, exceeding tall, and 
quite black, went into the gentleman's 
court-yard, met one of the servants, 

and 



( 27 ) 

nd commanded liim to go and tell liis 
master that his guests were come. The 
valet, greatly terrified, ran to the 
cliurch to inform his master, who very 
much astonished, related it to the cu- 
rate. 

The latter finishing his sermon, ad- 
vised him to order all his family out 
of the house. This was no sooner said 
than executed; but in consequence of 
the haste that they made in escaping 
from that awful abode, they left in 
one of the rooms a little child sleeping 
in a cradle. The guests, or to speak 
more properly the devils, began to 
overturn the tables, to howl, to look 
out of the windows in the shape of 
bears, wolves, cats, and hobgoblins, 
holding in their hands glasses of wine, 
t!>l). and boiled and roasted joints of 
U 2 meat. 



( 28 ) 

meat. As the neighbours, the gentle- 
man, the curate, and others, were con- 
temphitiiig the like spectacle with hor- 
ror, the poor father began to exclaim, 
"Alas! where is my poor infant?" 
The last word was scarcely from his 
lips, when one of the black guests 
brought the child in his arms to the 
windows, and shewed him to all those 
who were in the street. The gentler 
man, quite distracted, addressed hini- 
self to his trusrty servant — ^* My 
friend, what shall I do?"— ^^ Sir,'" re- 
l^lied the young man trembling, " I 
will recommend my life to* God, and 
then in his name I will enter the house, 
and in consideration of his favor and 
assistance, I will bring you away the. 
child." '' Well," said the master, 
^' God accompany, assist, and fortify 
you." The servant having received 

the 



( '29 ) 

the benediction of his masteiv the cu- 
rate, and otiier gentleman who were 
present, went home, and approacliing 
the room wliere tlie dark guests were 
sitting, he prostrated himself upon, 
and recommended himself to, the Al- 
mighty; then opened the door, and 
beheld the spectres in a horrible form, 
some seated, others standing, others 
crawling upon the floor. They all of 
rhem darted towards him, and ex- 
claimed together in a hollow voice — 
'' Wliat brings you here?" — The ser- 
vant trembling with fear, at the same 
time emboldened by his trust m the 
Omnipotent, addressed himself to the 
mischievous one mIio was holding the 
infant, and said, 'MIere ! deliver me 
that child." '' I will not,'' replied the 
spectre, '^ it is mine; go and tell thy 
master to come for it himself." — The 

servant 



( 30 ) 

servant iiisisted, and said — ^^ I am do- 
ing tlic ollice that God hath com- 
manded me, and know all that I do 
conformable to tliat h acceptable to 
liim. Bein<5 here in virtue of mv of* 
fice, in the name and assistance of his 
blessed Son, I snatch from thee and 
seize this child, which I shall carry to 
his father/' — Saying this he caught 
hold of the infant, and clasped it 
closely in his arms. The black guests 
replied with the most dismal shrieks in 
these Avords — ^' Thou wretch, thou 
profligate, leave the child, or thou 
shalt perish." — But despising their 
threats^ precipitated out of the house 
unhurt, and restored the child into the 
hands of his father. Some days after 
this the unwelcome visitors disappear- 
ed; when the gentleman returned home, 
and ever after lived as a true chris- 
tian. 

Spirit 



( 31 ; 



Spirit of a Gentleman whieh burst through 
a casement in his Daughter's bed-chamber , 
at the hour of his death, invisible to every 
one except a dog, zcho continued barking 
(ill it vanished. — Jl fact. 

Ix the year 1663, a private gentle- 
man, married, rich, and of a good fa- 
mily, lived in the street des Ecoufles 
lit Paris. His family consisted of his 
\ufe, and a son about five years old, 
^\]\o was the only one left of six other 
children that they had had together. 
The father of this lady was infirm, of 
an agreeable conversation, and visited 
them often. A little time before his 
decase he went to see them, and testi- 
fied to the lady his daughter that he 
had just come to bid them adieu before 
his departure. She embraced him with 
affection ; and calling her son who was 

playing 



( 32 ) 

playing in the garden with some other 
cliikh'en, she told him to come and 
salute his grand-papa, and shew him 
his new cloaths that she had had just 
made for him. He appeared very much 
pleased at it, and kissing tenderly his 
grand-son, said: ^^ My little dear, in 
a sliort time you shall have a prettier 
one than this, you shall wear a black 
one for grand-papa/' — ^' Fie ! fie ! fa- 
ther," replied the lady; '^ why are you 
always speaking about that ? Do not 
think of such gloomy subjects/' — 
** Ah ! daughter," replied the old gen- 
tleman, " I perceive it well, I am 
drawing near the verge of dissolution ; 
but God's will be done; I will come 
and see you once more." — After these 
words he left the room, and set off the 
next day for his country-house at 
Crecy, where his affairs called him. 

Having 



( 33 ) 

Having arrived tlicrc, he found liim* 
self very ill; and as his situation was 
dang'crous, a particular friend impart- 
ed tlie news to Ids son-in-law, and re- 
quested him to come with all possible 
speed. As soon as the letter was re- 
ceived, the gentleman sent for two 
post-horses, and left town immediately 
wuth his valet; so that they arrived 
at Crecy about four o'clock in the af- 
ternoon. Thev found the old gentle- 
man approaching his last moments^ 
but still sensible. They seized the op- 
portunity to make him receive the sa- 
crament. The patient grew worse; he 
went hito convulsions, and died about 
eleven o'clock in the evening of the 
following dav. The son-in-law under- 
took the care of inhuming the body, 
and gave orders for a handsome fu- 
neral. After that he had some affairs 

of 



( 34 ) 

of the succession to regulate, which 
obhgetl him to defer for some time his 
return. 



During his absence, his wife Avho 
was at Paris, and who loved as ten- 
derly her dear father as she was be- 
loved, and knew by the letter of ad- 
vice the danger he was in, was incon- 
solable, and did nothing but weep: 
she was left with her son, her femme 
de chambrCy and two other servants. 
As she was naturally fearful, she had 
a little bed made for \\tv femme de 
chamhre near her's, in order to dispel 
her glooms, and slept with her be- 
loved son, whom she could never 
suffer to be a moment from her. 

'\\\Q. femme de chamhre on lier side, 
in order to have a second, likewise 

put 



( 35 ) 

put upon tlic foot of her bed the dog 
belonging to the houoe, to w atcli and 
be her protector. Order was so 
strictly observed that every one was 
in bed before ten in the evening. 

It happened that the same day that 
their dear parent died, our faithful 
guardians after the greatest agitations, 
l)egan scarcely to taste the sweets of 
a tranquil sleep, when about eleven at 
ni^lit they were awakened suddenly 
bv a violent noise that was made at 
one of the windows of tlieir chamber 
v.iu-h looi^ed into the garden. The 
casement^^' and tlieir shutters accord- 
ino- to tlie ancient mode were divided 
into se\eral paiincls. Althougli the 
whole had been pei/cctly secured, a 
top pane and a part of the shutter 
opened half M'ay wit:.' :.r breaking, in 

a manner 



( 36) 

a manner supernatural, and a rustling 
was heard similar to a person Avith 
a silk gown; and entering forcibly 
tlirough the cavity. Judge how a 
prodigy so surprizing must have alarm- 
ed the mistress and her fcmme de 
chambre. Fear rendered them quite 
motionless, and deprived them of 
speech. The dog at the first noise that 
he had heard, precipitated off the bed, 
and ran barking from one end of the 
room to the other. He \vas so agitat- 
ed that he struck his head against the 
walls and chairs with as little care ss 
though he had been insensible of the 
blows. He continued that fatiguing 
trim till day-light, when being totally 
exhausted, he fell down with lassitude, 
couched upon the floor, and fell asleep. 
Tn the morning the pane and shutter 
of tlie window were found still open. 

It 



( 37 ) 

It was thought that the spirit must 
have appeared to the dog under a vi- 
sible form different from anv tliin^: he 
had ever before seen ; which had been 
the cause of those unusual agitations; 
and tliat tliis must have been tlie last 
visit that the deceased had promised to 
make his daughter. The next day she 
actually received a letter from her 
Imsband, in which he wrote every 
thing that had passed at Crecy till the 
time of her father's decease. By this 
letter it appeared that he died at Crecy 
the same day and at the same hour as 
the apparition was heard at Paris. She 
(udered several masses to be said for 
the repose of his soul, since which 
time nothino; has been either seen or 
heard supernatural in the house. 

This fact is taken from a manuscript 
of ;Mr. Barry, auditor of accounts. 

E A Spectre 



( 38 ) 



A Spatre loaded with Chains appearing to 
a Young Gentleman, who courageoml^ 

followed it into a Garden, zchere it point-- 
ed out to him the spot zchere the bones of a 

person in Chains were actually/ discover^ 
ed. — A FACT, 

About the year 15/0, a young man 
named Vasques d'Ayola, having gone 
to Boulogne with two of his compa- 
nions to study the law, and not hav- 
ing found a lodging in the city to his 
wishes, they took an apartment in a 
spacious and magnificent house, but 
deserted on account of a spectre which 
frightened every body that came to 
reside there. They laughed at this 
discourse, and took up their abode. 



At the end of the first month 

im- 
ber 



d'Ayola watching alone in his cham 



( 3.9 ) 

her M liilc his companions were sleeping; 
c|uietly in tlieir beds, lie lieard a noise 
at a distance similar to chains draij;- 
<^im>: along tlie ground. It appeared 
ad\'ancing towards liim up the stairs. 
)le recommended himself to God, 
made the sign of the cross, took a 
5word and buckler, and having a taper 
in the other hand, he saw the door 
opened by a horrible spectre, nothing 
but bones, Ijut loaded w^ith chains. 
Ayola conjured him and asked him 
A\ hat he Avanted. The fantom made 
signs for him to follow him; he ac- 
cordingly did; but on going down 
stairs his candle going out, he went 
hack to light it and followed the 
spirit, M'hich conducted him along a 
yard m here there was a well. Ayola 
was fearful lest he should precipitate 
him into it, and stopped: the spectre 
E y made 



( 40 ) 

made signs for him to follow him: 
tliey went into the garden^ when the 
tantom disappeared. Ayola plucked 
lip a few handfuls of grass about the 
spot and returned to relate to his 
companions wliat had happened to 
him. In the morning information 
was given of it to the principal citizens 
of Boulogne, 

They went to reconnoitre the place 
and made the most diligent search. 
The bones of a corse was found there 
and loaded with chains. Every 
enquiry was made but they were 
never able to discover any thing cer* 
tain as to the fact. Suitable obsequies 
was made for the deceased^ the remains 
were interred, and from that time the 
liouse was no longer haunted. 



•o^ 



This 



< 41 ) 

This fact is related by Antoine 
Formeqiiade, in his work intituled: 
Les Ficurs ciiriex. 



A iroop 



ij 



(42 ) 



jd Iroop of Spirits sce)i zcandcrhig at Nanii 
iiL ike )niiUlU of the daij. 

So M E years before the death of Pope 
Leo the ninth, who died in the year 
1059, an infinite multitude of people 
cloathcd in wliite were seen passing 
through tlie city of Narni> and ad- 
vancing towards the east This troop 
l^cpt marching from the morning early 
until three in the afternoon; but to- 
^vardsevening they perceptibly declin- 
ed. At this spectacle the Avhole city 
mounted the walls, fearing lest they 
might be a troop of enemies, and 
saw th-em file off with an extreme 
surprize. 

A citizen more resolute than the 
others went out of the city, and 
liaving remarked in the croM'd a man 

of 



( -is ) 

of Ills acquaintance, lie called him hy 
liis name, and asked him Avhat that 
jimltitude of travellers meant; he re- 
plied, — "'We are souls, who not 
having: ex[)iated all our sins, and not 
being yet pure enough to enter into 
the kingdom of heaven, -^ve are going 
thus into the holy places M'ith a spirit 
of repentance; Ave are just come from 
A Isiting the tomb of St. Martin, and 
are going now to Notre Dame at 
Parfe." The man wasso terrfied at 
this vision that he kept his bed 
for a whole twelvemonth. It was he 
himself who related the circumstance 
to Pope Leo the ninth. The whole 
city of Xarni was ^vitness of this pro- 
cession, wliich took place in the face 
of dav. 



The 



( 44 ) 

Tiff' Ghost of Brutus appearing to him he 
fort: his death. 

One night very late, every body 
sleeping in the camp of Brutus, as he 
was in his pavilion with very little 
light, reflecting on something very 
profoundly within himself, he thonght 
he heard somebody coming in, and 
casting his eyes towards the entrance 
of his pavilion he perceived a mon- 
strous and hideous figure of a human 
body emaciated, Avithered, horrible, 
whicli presented itself to him with- 
out saying a word. However Brutus^ 
without being astonished any farther 
at this vision, asked him with a firm 
tone of voice, ** whethcF he M^as hu- 
man or divine, and what brought him 
there." Tlie fantom replied, — '^ I 
am thy destroying angel, Brutus^ you 

shall 



( 45 ) 

shall sec me again at Philippi." — Bru- 
tus without any more concern, re- 
plied coolly,—'' Well, I M'ill meet you 
there then." — When the fantoni dis- 
appeared. On the night whicli pre- 
ceded tlic death of Drutus, a little be- 
fore he gave battle to Antony and Oc- 
tavian at Phihppi, where he slew 
himself with his own bauds the same 
fantom presented itself to him a se- 
cond time in the same shape and 
figure, and then disappeared without 
utteiinga Mord. 

This fact Is related by Plutarch 
and Appian in the fourtli book of the 
Civil Wars, Chapter the last 



A Youns 



(4d) 



A Young Lady murdered by an evil Spirtt 
through her impious uhhcs^ and after^ 
uards tratn^formed into a Black Cat. 

On tlie 27th day of May loSS, ill 
the capital city of the duchy of Era- 
bant called Antwerp, and in the 
Flemish language Opdemer, lived an 
extremely beautiful young lady of a 
very opulent family, which rendered 
her the means of giving full scope to 
her sensual desires; proud and 
haughty, her every moment was en- 
gaged at the toilet. Being one day 
invited to the nuptials of one of her 
father's friends, she piqued herself ia 
outvieing the rest of the ladies in 
magnificence and beauty; to effect 
>vhich she decorated and attired her- 
self in a most brilliant dress, not for- 
getting above all things to add new 

luatre 



(47) 

lustre to her cliarnis by the assistance 
of rouge and other different cosmetics, 
so hberally used by the Italian cour- 
tezans ; and in order to elucidate tliat 
sumptuousness and superstition of 
bravado (as the Flemish ladies so 
much esteem fine linen) she ordered 
four or five ruffs to be made, of cam- 
bric that cost her nine crowns and a 
half the ell The ruffs being finished 
she sent for a clear-starcher in the 
city, to whom she begged for her to 
get her up two of them in the most 
magnificent stile, in order to serve 
her for the day of the nuptials, and 
the succeeding one, promising her as 
a gratuity the liberal recompence of 
twenty-four sous. The good woman 
executed her commands with the 
greatest care and punctuality; still 
tliey were not done to her satisfac- 
tion; 



( 48 ) 

tion; she sent immediately for another 
person of the same profession, to 
-whom she deUvered the said articles, 
promising her if they were got up to 
her Mashes three times the sum she 
had paid before: this second clear- 
starcher exerted her utmost to satisfy 
the ambition of her employer; but she 
was unfortunately less successful than 
the former; as when she brought 
them home, the young lady not find- 
ing them to her wishes, flew into 
the most violent rage, threw them on 
the floor, SMcaring and blaspheming 
the name of the Almighty, that she 
had sooner go to the devil, than to 
the wedding in things so barbarously 
executed. The enraged young crea- 
ture had no sooner finished those 
words but the devil, who was lying 
iu wait, having assumed the appear- 
ance 



( -i9 ) 

ance of one of her favourite admirer:^ 
presented himself before her, havhig a 
riifT round his neck very handsomely 
adjusted; the unfortunate seeing him, 
and taking him to be one of her prin- 
cipal favourites, addressed herself to 
him in the most engaging language^ and 
said^ '- Who has plaited your ruff in 
such a be^^itching stile; that is just 
the manner in which I ^vished mine?'" 
The evil spirit momentarily replied^ 
that he had plaited it himself ; so say- 
ing, he took it off his neck and put 
it jovfully upon her's; then to com- 
plete the stratagem feigned to salute 
her. and seizing the poor unfortunate 
round the ^vaist, with a horrible shriek 

isted furiously her neck, and left her 
breathless and inanimate upon the floor. 
The scream was so loud that being 

ird by the father and every body in 
p the 



( 50 ) 

ihe houses they immediately concluded 
tliat some misfortune had happened. 
On going up into the room they found 
her extended lifeless upon the ground^ 
having her neck and face bruised and 
discoloured^ insomuch^ that all those j 
who looked upon that strange adven- 
ture were so aflfrighted that their hair 
stood an end with horror upon their 
heads. The father and mother bewailed i 
their loss most bitterly^ and with abun- 
dant sighs lamented the disaster of 
their daughter. After having consulted 
what was the best to be done^ they or- 
dered her to be put in a coffin and in- 
terred^ lest they should incur dishonour 
on their family. They gave their 
neighbours to understand that an apop- 
lexy had carried off their daughter sud- 
denly. But the Almighty^ who sends 
no affliction without a cause, would not 

suffer 



( 51 ; 

Tsufler such a thinu" to be concealed and 
buried in the tomb of oblivion; order- 
ed it to be nianifefted to cverv one^ 
that it might serve as an e\am})le to 
posterity. For as the interment was 
about to take place with every pomp, 
four strong and powerful men could 

^neither lift nor move the coffin from 
the bier. The f:ithcr seeing that^ gave 
orders for two more to come to their 
assistance; but it was in vain, for the 
coffin was so ponderous that it seemed 
as though it were riveted for ever: 
seeing which, the company freezed 
'th horror, with one common accord 
concluded that it should be opened, 
it was instantly done; but at the open- 
ing, it was found to contain nothing 
but a black cat which leaped out im- 
mediately, and disappeared without 
any one's knowing what became of her. 
F 2 The 



( 52 ) 

The disc onsolate father frustrated in his 
attempt^ was obliged to declare how 
every thing had happened^ to the dis- 
grace of their family^ and to the con- 
fusion and condemnation of their dis- 
solute daughter. 



Th 



( 53 ) 

' The g/iost of an old gintloiuui in c/iainsy 
appearing to the philosopliev Atlieiiodore, 
{ajaet n/ated hj/ F/in//.) 



TiiEPxE was at Athens a very niagni- 
'ficent house but uninhal)ited, on ac- 
count of a spectre v>hic h was said to 
haunt it. The philosapher Athenodore^ 
arrivinii* in that cit\' and having- seen a 
written paper that signified the house 
was to be sold and at a low price, pur- 
^ chased it^ and went to sleep there with 
his domestics. As he was occupied in 
reading and writing during the greatest 
part of the night, he heard suddenly 
a great noise, as if chains were drag- 
ging along, and perceived at the same 
time the spirit of an old man loaded 
ith chains, which advanced towards 
^ iiim.. Athenodore continued writing, 
j-the spectre made signs for him to lol- 
r 3 low 



( 54 ) . 

low it: the philosopher in his turn 
made signs for it to stop, and pur- 
sued his studies; at length he took his 
lamp and followed the ghost, which con- 
ducted him in the yard, then sunk into 
a chasm of the earth, and disappeared. 

Athenodore, without the least fear, 
took up a stone to mark the place and 
returned to his chamber to repose. On 
the following day he informed the 
magistrates of what had happened; they 
went into the house and searched dili- 
gently in the place he had pointed out; 
the bones of a dead body loaded with 
chains were discovered which were af- 
terwards interred, and the house was 
undisturbed in future. 

This fact is related hy Pliny the 
Younger {P/in. junior. Epist. ad Su" 
ram, lih, 7. c. 27. 



( 55 ) 

The spirit of tin- Manjitis ,h Ram/iouilld ap- 

■ jKurin-r 'to Im friaul tin- Munjuis dc 

Prtci/^ (IS />'■/ (ippoiiitmcitt -u/nn uiicc. 

The rnarquis of Ramboiilllct, eldest 
1 other of the duchess of Montaiv/ier, 
and the marquis of Precv, the eldest of 
. the house of Nantotsiliet, both from 
j twenty-five to thirty years of ag:-, were 
i.uimate friends, and went to battle as 
^^as the custom of every person of ([ua- 
tv in Trance. As tiiey were one day 
inconversation about the afiairs of the 
cuher world, after much discourse, which 
^sas sufficiently exure:.sive that they 
^vere not too well persuaded of every 
: thing that is said concerning it, they 
prot^iised each other that the first who 
died would come and bring even hitel- 
ligence to his companion. At the ex- 
pLtionof three months the marquis of 

Rambouillet 



I 



( 56 ) 

Rambouilletset out for Flanders^ where 
ihe scat of war was at that time; while j 
de Precy, attacked with a violent fever, 
was detained at Paris. Six weeks after^ 
de Precy heard the curtains of his bed 
draw aside^ and turning himself to !^ee 
what it was^ he perceived the marquis 
de Rambouillet in boots and regimen- 
tals. He jumped out of bed and was 
going to leap round his neck, to express 
the joy he felt at his return; but Ram- 
bouillet drawing a few paces back, told 
him that his caresses were no longer 
necessary^ that he had only come to 
acquit himself of his word v/hich he had 
given him; that he had been slain the 
evening before in battle; that every 
thing that was said of the other world 
was exceeding true ; that he must think 
oflivi.i.']: in another manner, and that 
he had no time to lose as he would be 

killed 



i 



( 57 ) 

killed shortly himself. \o one ean ex- 
press the surprise that the marcjuis de 
Preey experieneed at this diseourse; 
not being able to believe what he heard, 
he made another ellbrt to enibraee his 
friend, whom he thought was deceiving 
him ; Rambouillet seeing that he w as 
incredulous, pointed to the place where 
he had received his wound, which was in 
the groin, from whence the blood ap- 
peared to flow. After that the fan torn 
vanished and left de Precy in a fright 
more easv to comprehend than describe. 
He called at the same time his valet and 
alarmed the whole house by his shrieks. 
Se\eral persons ran to his assistance, to 
whom he related what he had just seen ; 
every one around him attributed tins 
vision to the ardor of the fever, which 
might have turned his brain. Thcv in- 
trcatc'd him to go to i)cd again, remon- 



stratnii]^ 



( 58 ) 

sfratiiig with him that he must have 
dreamed of what he had said. The mar- 
quis murh wounded to think he should 
be taken for a fanatic^ related every ch'-j 
cumstciUce a second time ; but it was in 
vain for him to protest that he had seen 
and heard his friend^ they still continu- 
ed in the same opinion^, till the arrival 
of the post from Flanders^ by which they 
learnt the death of the marquis de Ram- 
bouillet. That former circumstance be- 
ing found consisent with truth and the 
manner in which de Precy had related 
it, those to whom he had told the ad- 
venture began to believe that there 
might be something in it, as Rambouil- 
let was killed precisely at the hour, and 
on the preceding evening that he had 
mentioned it: it was impossible that he 
had learnt it through a natural cause. 
This event being spread abroad in Pa- 
ris, 



1 



( 59 ) 

fis, they thought it was the efibct of a 
troubled imagination, or a tale fabricated 
for amusement; but Avhatcver persons 
might say ^^ho examined the thing seri- 
ously, there ^vas always a suspicion in 
'their minds ^vhich nothing but time 
'could by any mcanr. eradicate. That 
depended upon what happened to the 
'marquis de Precy \vho was menaced to 
•perish in a short time after: conse- 
quently every body looked upon his 
destiny a? the denouemant of the piece ; 
however he very soon confirmed their 
doubts; for as so'on as he recovered from 
his indisposition, 'the ci\il wars broke 
out; he insisted on going to the battle , 
of St.Antoinc, although his father and 
mother who feared the prophecy, did 
every thing they could to dissuade him 
'from it; he was slain there to the great 
regret of all his family. 

The 



( 60 ) 

The (hath of Carlostadt, announced hi/ a 
spectre that seized his youngest child and 
threatened to dash his brains out : after- 
xcards ordered him to tell his father to 
prepare himself] as he should call again 
i)i three days. 

The death of Carlostadt was accom- 
panied by the most horrid circumstan- 
ces according to the testimony of the 
ministers of Bale his colleagues. They 
relate (Mostrovius, page 22) that at the 
last sermon which Carlostadt delivered 
in the tennple of Bale^ a tall black figure 
came and seated hirnseif beside the 
consul. The preacher perceived it and 
appeared much troubled. On descend- il 
ing from the pulpit he enquired who 
the stranger v>as that had taken his place 
by the chief magistrate: nobody had 
seen him. Carlcbti^dt heard of the spec- 
tre on his return home a second time. 

It 



I 



( 61 ) 

it had been there, and had seized the 
youngest and the most tenderly belov- 
ed of his children by the hair of his 
head. After having lifted him from the 
ground, it made as though it were go- 
ing to dash his brains out; however it 
-contented itself by ordering the child 
• to inform his father, that in three days 
j it should return, and that he must hold 
- himself in readiness. The child having 
j related to his father what it had said, 
Carlostadt went to bed in the most dread- 
ful horrors, and expired on the third 
dav after. 



G 



( 6Q ) 

The azc'ful dream of Xerxes^ the king of 
Persia. 

Xerxes^ king of Persia^ deliberating in 
a council^ whether he should wage war 
ao^ainst Greece, was very much dissuaded 
from it by Artabanes his paternal uncle. 
Xerxes highly offended at the liberty he 
had takeuj gently reproached him for it. 
The night following he reflected seri-^ 
ously upon the reasons of Artabanes^, i 
and changed his resolution; having fal 
len asleep^ he dreamt he saw a man of 
an extraordinary stature and deport- 
ment who said to him — '' You have 
then renounced the design of making 
war against the Greeks^ although you 
have issued your orders to the Persian 
chiefs in order to assemble your army? 
— you have not done right to change 
your resolution^ although you foundi 
no one of your opinion ; go, believe me,' 

followi 



( 63 ) 

ollow voiir designs:" — having said that 
[he vision disappeared. The next morn- 
ino he convened his council a second 
time, and without speaking of the dream 
that he had had, he confessed that he 
,was very sorry for what he had said in 
.his anger the day preceding to Arta- 
banes his uncle; declared that he had 
renounced making war against the Gre- 
cians: those of his council overjoyed^ 
prostrated themselves in his presence^ 
and felicitated him for it. 

The night following he had for the 
second time the same vision^ and the 
same phantom said to him — '' Son of 
Darius^ thou hast then abandoned the 
design of declaring war against the 
Greeks, ^vithout taking any notice of 
what I said to thee ? know that if vou 
do not undertake instantly that cxpedi- 
G 2 tion^ 



( 64 ) 

tlon^ you will shortly be reduced to a 
condition as servile as that which you 
now enjoT is elevated." The king 
threw himself off the bed immediately^ 
and sent in haste to fetch Artabanes^ to 
whom he related the two dreams that 
he had two nights successively; he 
added '' I intreat you to invest your- 
self with my regal ornaments; to seat 
yourself upon my throne, then to sleep 
in my bed; and should the phantom 
which appeared to me appear to you 
likewise, I shall think the thing is or- 
dained by the gods decrees, and I will 
obey their orders/' 

It was in vain for Artabanes to refuse 
investing himself with the insignias of 
royalty; to seat himself upon the king's 
throne, and to sleep in his bed; alledg- 
ing that all that would be useless, if the j 

gods 



( 65 ) 

gods had resolved to make him acquain- 
ted with their wishes; that, that even 
would be more capable to irritate the 
gods, as they wished to make their il- 
hision by those exterior marks; that as 
to the rest, dreams of themselves de- 
served not the least attention; and that 
in common, they were only consequen- 
ces of representations impressed strong- 
ly on the mind the evening before. 

Xerxes w^as not persuaded by these 
reasonino:s, and Artabancs did as the 
king desired, being well assured that if 
the thing presented itself more than 
once, it would be a proof of the wish 
of the gods, of the reality of the vision, 
and of the truth of the dream; he then 
-lept in the king's bed, and the same 
})hantom appeared to him and said; '' It 
is then you who prevent Xerxes execu- 
G 3 ting 



( ee ) 

ting his resolution^ and accomplishing 
what is decreed by the fates? I have 
declared to the king what he has to 
fear if he defers obeying my orders/* 
At the same time it appeared to Arta- 
banes as though it wanted to put out 
his eys with a burning iron; he imme- 
diately got out of bed and related to 
Xerxes what had appeared to him;, and 
added; ^' I change absolutely my opi- 
nion; since it pleases the gods that we 
should make war, and that the Greeks 
are threatened with great misfortunes, 
give your orders^ and make all your 
arrangements for war/* Which was 
immediately executed. 



The 



( 67 ) 



The ghost of Di'sfontaiiics, appearing to his 
friend Mr, Bezuel, to inform him that he 
had been droxcned, according to a rtcip- 
rocal agreement. 



A VENERABLE pi'iest of the city of Val- 

Jonia named Bezuel^ being invited to 

linner on the 7th of January^ 1708, at 

ithe house of a k.dv, a relation of the 

abbot de St. Pierre; Vvith this abbot, he 

related to them, according to their 

lesire, a circumstance concerning the 

|ipparition of one of his companions 

(^hom he had seen in open day, about 

/elve years from that period. 



In 1695, said Mr. Bezuel, being a 

:hool-bov about fifteen years of age^ 

formed an acquaintance with the two 

lihildren of d' Abaguene^ a lawyer, who 

were 



( 68 ) 

^vcrc school-boys like myself. The eld- 
est was about my age^ the youngest 
was eighteen months less; his name 
was Desfontaines; we took our walks 
and all our parties of pleasure together; 
and whether Desfontaines possessed 
more friendship for me^ or whether he 
was more gay^ more complaisant^ more 
lively than his brother^ I was most par- 
tial to him* I 

In 1696^ walking in the cloister of 
the Capuchins, he told me that he had 
lately read a story concerning two 
friends who had promised each other 
that he who should die the first should 
come and tell his situation to the living; 
that the deceased appeared to him, and 
told him the most surprizing things. 
Upon that Desfontaines said that he had 
a favour to request of me ; which was 

to 



( 69 ) 

to make him a similar promise, and that 
on his side he ^volIld make me one ; I 
told him that I would not. He was 
several months speaking to me of it, 
often, and veiy seriously; I still resis- 
ted. At length about the month of 
August, 1696, as he was about depart- 
ing to the university at Caen, he pres- 
sed me so much with teai*s in his eyes that 
I consented : ,he took from his pocket 
at the same time two little papers that 
he had wTitten for the purpose, the one 
signed with his blood, in which he 
promised me in case of death, to come 
and give me an account of his situation 
after death, the other in which I pro- 
mised him the same thing. I pricked 
my finger, a drop of blood came with 
which I signed my name; he was 
overjoyed to have my letter, and em- 
bracing me for it, he returned me a 
thousand thanks. 



( 70 ) 
Some time after, he departed with 
his brother. Our separation occasion- 
ed us much grief; we wrote to each 
other every opportunity, and about six 
weeks after I received his last letter, 
there happened to me what I am going 
to relate. 



The 31st of July, 1697, one Thurs- 
dav, I shall remember it to my latest 
hour; the late Mr. Sortoville with 
whom I lodged, and who behaved with 
great kindness to me, begged of me to 
go into a meadow near the Cordeliers, 
and to assist him in looking over his 
people who were making hay. I had 
not been there a quarter of an hour 
when about half past two, I felt myself 
almost stunned by an invisible blow, 
and was taken with a fainting; in vain 
did I lean upon my hay fork, they were 



obliged 



- ( -1 ) 

obliged to lay me upon the groinul 
\vhcre I was extended iipwaads of an 
hour before I recovered my senses. 
That passed over, but as nothing before 
that had ever happened to me I was 
very much alarmed^ and feared lest I 
was going to be indisposed ; however 
it left but a trifling impression on me 
the remainder of the day; it is true that 
at night I slept less than ordinary. 

The next day about the same hour 
as I was leadino to the meadow the 
grandson of Mr. de Sortoville, who was 
at that time ten years of age, I found 
mvself on the road attacked with a 
similar fainting; I seated myself upon 
a stone under the shade. That passed 
over, and we continued our route: 
nothing more happened to me that day^ 
and in the night I slept but very little. 

In 



{ 72 ) 

In fine, on the morrow, the 2d day 
of August^ being in the barn precisely 
at the same hour, I was taken with a 
like dizziness and langour, but more 
serious than the others; I fainted and 
lost my senses; one of the servants 
perceived it: I have been told they ask- 11 
ed me at that time what was jhe matter 
with me, and that I answered, I saw 
%vhat I never could have believed ; but I 
neither recollect any question or an- 
swer; that however accords with what I 
remember having seen at that time, the 
figure of a person naked to his waist, 
but had not the lea>:t recollection who 
he was. They assisted me to descend a | 
ladder; I held fast to the steps; but as 
J saw Desfontaines my companion at the 

foot, 



(73 ) 

foot, my head fell between two of the 
steps, and I lost my senses a second 
time. They carried me down, and 
placed me upon a bench close by them. 
I saw no more of Mr. Sortoville, nor 
his domestics, although present ; but 
perceiving Desfontaines at the foot of 
the ladder, who M'as beckoning me to 
come to him, I (h'ew aside on my seat 
as if to make room for him, while 
tliose who saw ]nc and whom I did 
not see, althoui^h I liad my eyes open, 
remarked tlii.^ inovcment. 

As he did not come, I arose to go 
to him. He advanced towards me, 
took me b}' tlie left arm witli liis right, 
and coiidncted mc about thirty paces 
fromthciK'c into aprivatc street, keep- 
iiMT Still fast hold of mt". The domes- 
tics thinking that my dizziness Mas 
II over, 



(74) 

• 

over, and that I was going to take 
a Avalk, went each of them to their 
business, except a servant-boy who 
went and told Mr. Sortoville that I 
was conversing with myself. Mr. 
Sortoville thought I was inebriated; 
he advanced, and heard me make 
several questions and answers, which 
he has told me since. 

I was there about three quarters of 
an hour discoursing with Desfon- 
taines: '^ I promised you," said he, 
^' that if I died first, I would come 
and tell you. I was drowned the day 
before yesterday in the river at Caen, 
nearly about this time; I was walk- 
hig with such and such a person, it 
was very Marm, we took it in our 
heads to bathe, a sudden languor 
came over mc and 1 sunk to the hot- 

torn* 



( 75 ) 

lorn. The abbot of ]\rcnil-Jcan, my 
companion^ plunged in to save me, I 
seized his foot; but whether he was 
afraid it might be a salmon, as I held 
it very fast, or whether he wished 
to reach speedily the surface of the 
Avater, he shook his leg so hard tliat 
he gave me a violent blow upon the 
breast, and threw me to the bottom of 
the river, which is exceeding deep.'' 

Desfontaines then related to me 
every thing that had happened while 
thev were walkins^, and about what 
they had been conversing. It was 
in vain for me to ask him any ques- 
tions relative to his being saved or 
damned — whether he was in purgato- 
rv — whether I was in a slate of o;race, 
and whether I should shortly follow 
him. He continued his discourse as 
H 2 if 



( 76) 

if he had not heard me, or was not 
\^'illing to hear me. 

I drew near several times to embrace 
him ; but it appeared to me as though 
I embraced nothing, I felt, however, 
that he grasped me very strongly by 
the arm ; and when I endeavoured to 
turn my head aside in order not to look 
at him any longer, as I could not see 
him without the greatest pain, he shook 
my arm as if to oblige me to look at 
him and listen to him. 

He appeared to me much taller than 
I had seen him when living, although 
he must have grown within the eigh* 
teen months that we had not seen 
each other; it was the same sound of 
his voice ; he seemed to me neither 
gay nor sorrowful, but in a situation 

calm 



^ 



( 77 ) 

calm and tranquil. He begged of me 
Avlien his brother returned, to tell him 
certain things to say to his parents; 
he entreated me to repeat the seven 
psalms that he had had in penitence 
on the preceding Sunday, and wliich 
he had not then recited : after that he 
recommended me a second time to 
speak to his brother, and then bid me 
adieu, separating himself from me, 
saying, '' till then, till then,^' which 
\vas our usual words wheu.Ave left each 
other. 

He said at the time he was drown- 
ed, his brother, writing a translation, 
was very loth to let him o;o alone, 
fearing some accident might happen 
to him. \\i^. depicted to me so well 
the spot in which he was drowned, and 
the tree in the avenue of Louvigni, on 

the 



( 78 ) 

the bark of which he had written a 
few Ns^orcls ; that two years after being 
in company with the late Count de 
Gotot, one of those who Avere Avith 
him Avhen he was drowned, I indi- 
cated to him the very place, and on 
counting the trees on a certain side 
that Desfontaines had specified to me,. 
I Avent straight to the tree and found 
Lis writing: he told me likewise that 
the article concerning the seven 
psalms w^as true, and that in coming 
from confession they were their peni- 
tence ; his brother told me since that 
it was true, at that hour he was wri- 
ting his version, and that he reproach- 
ed liim for not having accompanied 
liis brother. 

As I had suffered nearly a montb 
to elapse without being able to do 

what 



( 79) 

^vhat Desfontaines had told me ^vith 
respect to his brother, he appeared to 
me again twice in the forenoon at a 
country-house, wliere I was going to 
dine about a leao;ue from hence. I 
found myself indisposed. I begged 
that I might be left to myself, that it 
was nothing, that I \vould soon re- 
turn. I Avent into a corner of the 
garden. Desfontaines having appear- 
ed to me, he reproached me for nat 
having spoken to his brother, and dis- 
coursed with me upwards of half an 
hour without replying to my ques- 
tions. 

On croino' the next morning' to the 

catlicdral of Xotrc Dame, he appear- 
ed to mc again, but for less time, and 
still pressed mc to speak to his bro- 
ther ; and left me sayings '^ till thcUy 

'' till 



( 80 ) 

//// then^'' and making no answer to 
my questions. 

It is a very remarkable circumstance 
that I had a pain in that part of my 
arm by which he seized me the first 
time, until I had spoken to his bro-- 
ther; I was three days and never 
slept on account of the astonishment 
I was in. After the first conversa- 
tion, I told Mr. de Varouville, my 
neighbour and school-fellow,, that 
Desfontaines had been drowned; that 
his apparition had just appeared to 
me to acquaint me of it. He went 
ofi'immediately to his parents, to know 
whether it was true. They had just 
received the intelligence; but through 
a misunderstanding, he understood it 
was the eldest son. He assured me 
that he had read the letter of Desfon- 
taines, 



( 81 ) 

taines, and he thought it must be so. 
I still maintained that it could not be 
possible, and that Desfontaines him- 
self had appeared to me. He return- 
ed, came back, and told me all in 
tears, that it was but too true. 

Nothing has happened to me since, 
and this strictly my adventure. It 
has been related differently, but I 
have never told it in any other man- 
ner than the foregoing. The late 
Count of Gotot has said that Desfon- 
taines appearsd also to ^Ir. Menil- 
Jean, but of that I am unacquainted. 
He lives about sixty miles from hence, 
and that is all I know. 

This is a very singular and very cir- 
cumstantial recital, related by the 

Abbot 



( 82 ) 

Abbot de St, Pierre, who is by no 
means credulous, in the 4th vol p, 57^ 
of his PoUtical Works. 



^ 



i' 



I 



A Dream 



( 83 ) 



A Dream iohl hi/ Cicero coiiccnung two Ar- 
cadiaus icho travelling together stopped 
at Megara, and lodged at dij/'erent houses. 
The one oj them appeared to the other in 
a Dream, told hint lie zcas murdered hi/ 
the innkeeper , and begged that he would 
look in the morning for his bodij, which 
aas concealed in a waggon. 



Two Arcadians who were travelling 
together, arrived at Megara, a city of 
Greece, situated between Athens and 
Corinth. The one, Avho had a claim 
of hospitality in the tOAvn, lodged at a 
fri end's house, ar.d the other at an inn. 
After supper, he who was with his 
friend, retired in order to go to bed. 
In his sleep it seemed to him that he 
who wa^j at tlic inn appeared to him, 
and l)C2.'o;ed him to assist him, as the 
innkeeper was going to niiirder him. 

He 



( 84 ) 

He rose up immediately much terrifi- 
ed at Ills dream. However, having 
collected himself, he fell asleep again, 
M'hen the other appeared to him a se- 
cond time, and told him that since he 
had not had the kindness to assist 
him, he hoped he would not let his 
death go unpunished : that the inn- 
keeper after having killed him, had 
concealed his body in a Avaggon, and 
had covered it over with dung ; and 
that he would be sure to find him 
in the morning at the opening of the 
city gates, before the waggon went 
out. Struck with this second dream, he 
went very earl}^ in the morning to the 
gates, saw the waggon, and asked the 
man mIio drove it wliat he had 
under the dung. The waggoner im- 
mediately took flight; the corpse was 

takcE 



( 85 ) 

taken out of the waggon, and the inn- 
keeper was arrested and punished. 

f icero relates this fact, (Cicero dc 
drcinationc) 



The 



(86) 



The Ghost of Uumhcrt Birk, a Flanderhin, 
that haunted a house in a manner similar 
to Scratching Fan?i^^[^CoJc JL^^^^^ 

Humbert Birk, a well known ci- 
tizen of the town of Oppenheim, and 
master of a country boarding-school, 
died in the month of November 1620, 
a few days before St. Martin. On the 
Saturday after his obsequies, certain 
noises Avere heard in the house where 
he had lived Avith his first wife; for 
wlien she died, he was re-married to 
another. 

The master of the house suspecting 
that it was his brother-in-law who 
was coming, said — ^' If you are Hum ; 
bert my brother-in-law, knock three 
times against the wall." At the same 

time 



( 87 ) 

time they lieard three blows distinct- 
ly, and no move; for in eomnion he 
paid no respect to number, lie was 
often heard at the fountain when they 
were going to draw water, and 
frightened the M'hole neighbourhood. 
He did not at all times speak with a 
very articulate voice, but made him- 
self heard by reiterated blows, bv a 
noise, a palpitation, a groan, a whis 
tie, or by a shriek like a person in 
distress. The whole of this lasted for 
the space of six months, when it ceas- 
ed all of a sudden. 

At the expiration of a year, and a 
little after its aniiiversary, it was heard 
more clamorous than before. The 
master of the house and the most 
courageous of his domestics, asked it 
at length what it wanted, and in what 
I 2 they 



< 88 ) 

they coiilcl assist it. It replied with a 
hoarse and croaking voice, ^* Order 
the curate to come with my three 
children next Saturday." The curate 
heing indisposed, was not abte to go 
on the day appointed ; but he went 
on the Monday following, accompa- 
nied by a great number of his friends. 

Humbert was informed of it, who 
replied in the most intelligible man- 
ner. They asked him if he wished for 
mass. He requested it to be said thrice. 
"Whether he wished for any alms to be 
distributed ? He ans\vered, let them 
give eight bushels of corn to the poor;' 
let my widow give something to all 
my children. He then ordered them 
to revise what had been badly distri- 
buted in his succession, which was 
about twenty florins. They asked him 

•why 



( 89 ) 

why he infested that house in preier- 
cnce to any other? lie repHcd, that 
he was obhged to it through conspi- 
racies and maledictions: Whether he 
had received the holy sacrament of the 
church ? I received it from the cu- 
rate your predecessor. They made 
him recite to him the Pater-nostcr 
and the Ave Maria, With much diffi- 
culty he did, saying that he was pre- 
vented from it by a wicked spirit that 
would not suifer him to say many 
other things of consec^uence to the 
curate. 

The pnest who belonged to the ab- 
bey of All Saints, went to the monas- 
tery on Tuesday, Jan. IC, IGCI, in or- 
der to take the advice of his superiors 
in so simz;ular an atlair ; they referred 
h'xm to three monks to assist liim with 

their 



( 90 ) 

tlicir counsels. They went together 
to tlie house where Humbert Avas con- 
tinuing bis importunities; as notliing 
bad been executed of what he had 
requested. A great concourse of 
the neio'hbours bad assembled there. 
The master of the house told Humbert 
to knock against the wall; he accord- 
ingly did, but very gently; he told 
liim a second time, '' go and fetch a 
stone, and knock harder; a silence 
ensued J as if he had been gone to 
pick up a stone, a louder blow M'as 
heard against the wall; the master 
whispered to his neighbour as lo\r aS: 
possible, for him to knock seven times, 
which lie immediatelv di<l. He tes^ 
tificd always a gicat respect for the 
priests, and never replied to them 
with the same boldness as he did to 
the laity; when lie Mas asked tli? 

cause 



( ^1 ) 

cause of it. — '' It is/' said lie, ^' that 
they liavc the holy saerament about 
them ; they had uever had it before^ 
but on tliat (hiy tliey fortunately liad^ 
liavlug just said mass, llie followfng 
day mass was said tliree times aecord- 
ing to his request ; tliey Hkewise pre- 
pared to make a pilgrimage, which lie 
had specified in tlie last discourse they 
had with hi-m : tliey promised also to 
distribute the alms he so earnestly de- 
sa*ed. Since tliat period Humbert ne* 
Ycr returned a2;ain. 



T/n 



( 92 > 



T/u Spiril of a Gentleman appearing several 
nights ta a Taylor in a cloud of Sulphur ^ 

On the 9tli of September 1625, one 
John Stcinhn died at a place called 
Altheim, in the diocese of Constantia 
SteinHn was a gentleman of an inde- 
pendent fortune, and a counsellor fof 
the city. Some few days after his 
death hia Ghost appeared in the mid- 
dle of the nio'ht to a tavlor named Si- 
mon Bauh, in the shape of a man sur- 
rounded with a gloomy flame, similar 
to that of lighted sulphur. It con- 
tinued its visits, but was always silent^ 
Bauh, being much alarmed at his 
nightly guest, w^as resolved to ask him 
what he could do for him. He seized 
the opportunity on the 17th of No- 
vember following. As he was reposing 

one 



( 93 ) 

one night in his cliimncy corner, a 
little after ele\'en in tlic evening;, he 
saw tlie spectre open gently the door, 
and in its usual flame fix itself before 
]}ini. - The taylor asked it its request: 
it replied with a ghostly and hollow 
voice, that he could assist him if he 
would ; but added, ^' Do not promise 
me if you are not resolved to execute 
your promise." — ^' I will, should they 
not surpass my power," replied the 
taylor trembling. " I wish then," re- 
sumed the spectre, ^' for you to order 
a mass to he said in the chapel of 
the Virgin of Kottemburgh. I have 
made a promise for it in my life time, 
and ne\er acquitted it. You will give 
orders likewise for two masses to be 
said at Altheim^ the one for departed 
souls, and the other for the \'irgin; 
and as I have not always been exact 

ia 



( 94 ) 

ill paying my domestics, I wish for a 
quarter of corn to be distributed to 
the poor." Simon promised to satis- 
fy its demands. The spirit extended 
to him his hand, as if to bind the en- 
gagement ; but Simon fearing lest 
something might happen to him, pre- 
sented to it the corner of his seat; the 
spectre having touched it, made the 
impression of his five fingers on it, as 
if it had been scorched by fire. Af- 
ter that it vanished with such a tre- 
mendous noise that the report was 
heard at three houses distance. 

This fact is related by a Monk of 
Toussaint Abbey in the Black Forest. 



Au 



( 95 } 



An invisible Spirit that ififcafccl a Printing 
OlHcCy boxed the ea)s of the 1Vork?ncn^ 
threw their hats about the room, pelted 
them icith stones, and committed various 
aets of mischief. 

Towards the end of the year 1746, 
profound groans were heard proceed- 
ing from a corner of a Printing Office 
of a Mr. Lahart, in the city of Con- 
stantia. The v/orkmen only laughed 
at it at first; but on the year follow- 
ing, about the beginning of January, 
they heard a louder noise than before, 
a continual knocking in the same cor- 
ner where they at first heard only 
groans. The invisible spectre even 
went so far as to box the printers* 
ears, and throw their hats about the 
office. They had recourse to the ca- 
puchin friars, who went with the books 

proper 



(96) 

proper to exorcise the spirit. The ex- 
orcism being completed, they return- 
ed home, and the noise ceased for three 
days. 

At the end of that period, the 
knocking recommenced much louder 

than before. The spectre threw the 
letters against the windows. A famous 
exorcist was sent for from the coun- 
try, who was fortunate enough to lay 
the spirit for a whole week. One day 
the spectre dashed a young man life- 
less on the floor, when the letters were 
seen a second time scattered against 
the windows. The country exorcist 
not being able to make any thing of 
his exorcisms, returned home greatly 
disappointed. 

The spirit continued his tricks, giv*- 

ing 



( 97 ) 

ing boxes of the ears to some, tliroNV- 
ini;' stones, c\:e. at tlic others, in sucli 
a manner that the compositors were 
obhi'-ed to forsake that corner of the 
olfice. They arrang-ed themselves in 
tlie middle of tlie room, but still were 
the same disturbed. 

Other cxorei.^ts were sent for, one 
of vrhom liad a genuine particle of the 
cross, Mhich he ])ut upon the table, 
'i'lic ^j)irit did not thiiik proper to de- 
b^i^t from his usual gaieties, but began 
boxinii* the ears of the exorcist and 
the friar tliat accompanied him so vio- 
lently that they were both very hcip- 
])y to lea\e tlie company. Others tlien 
came, who liaving mixed a ([uantity of 
-<ind and a->hes in a pail of holy water, 
rhey scattered it about the iloor; 
^^\\d being furnished ^itl) suords, 
K tliev 



( 98 ) 

they began brandishing them about 
the room in order to see whether 
they could strike the spirit, and then 
looked minutely upon the ground 
to see whether it had left any vestige 
of its feet upon the ashes. They 
at length perceived that it had 
mounted up the chimney, and ob- 
served in several places the vestiges 
of its feet and hands, imprinted upon 
the ashes and holy sand. 

After various efforts they dislodged 
it from its hiding place, and in a few 
moments after found it must have 
glided under a table, as he had left 
upon the floor the marks of his feet 
and hands. The clouds of dust that 
arose in consequence of this research, 
occasioned every one to leave the 
room J and give over the pursuit. 

How^ever 



( 99 ) 

Ilovrever the principal exorcist not 
being Aviiiing to depart dissatisfied, 
tore up a board in the corner wliere 
the groans had lirst been lieard, and 
found in a httle liole, several featliers, 
three bones wrapt uj) in a dirty cloth, 
some pieces of glass, and a bodkin. 
He repeated several benedictions over 
a fire wliich tliey kindled, and threv/ 
tlie contents into it. l]ut the monk 
had scarce returned to his convent, 
wlien a printer's boy went to inform 
him that the bodkin had darted out 
of the fire three times of its own ac- 
cord, and that a boy v/ho Avas going 
to put it into tlie fire again M'ith a 
pair of tonp-s, was struck violently 
iipou the cheek. The remains of 
what M'as found had been carried to 
the convent of the ca])uchiii friars, 
where they burnt Avithout the least 
K 2 liann 



^ 



( 100 ) 

harm arising. Some few days after 
the infestations re-commenced in the 
house of the printer; tlie spectre box- 
ing tlie ears, throM ing stones and mo- 
lesting the servants in various man« 
ners. 

]\Ir. Lahart the master of the house, 
received a considerable wound in the 
head : two boys who were sleeping in 
the same bed, were tumbled upon: 
the ground; so that the whole house 
was entirely deserted during the 
night. One Sunday a servant carry- 
ing some linen from the house was at- 
tacked violently with stones. An- 
otliev time two boys were precipitated 
(low n a la(hlcr. No one was able to 
account for tliis extraordinary phe- 
noHKMion, nor could any of the bro- 
therhood completely lay the spirit; 

the 



( 101 ) 

the house in a short time after be- 
came uninhabited, and signalized 
among tlie number of the haunted. 



yl Slave 



( 1(>- ) 



^-1 Slave siippo^icd to have been cut in pieces 
ihrongk his presu)nptio)i in coitjuri/ig np 
Devils in an Old Castle at the Isle of 
Malta. 

Lv the isle of Malta^ t\va kiilglits. 
having purchased a slave, who boast- 
ed of his knowing the secret of con- 
juring up devils, and obliging them 
to discover the most hidden mys- 
teries, they took liim into an old cas- 
tle M'here they thought great treasures 
were concealed. The slave began his* 
conjurations, and in a short time the 
demon opened a rock, and a massy 
chest fell out. The slave v/as going; 
to seize hold of it, but the chest re- 
turned back into its place; the thing 
recommenced more than once; Avhen 
the slave, after various efforts but in 
vain, went to the knights and told 

them 



( 103 ) 

tlicm M'luit liad happened; tluit he 
Avas so niucli enfeebled by the at- 
tempts he had made, that he stood iii 
need of a litflc brandy, in order to 
fortify his con rage. Tliey gave hnn 
some, and in a short time, after hav- 
ing retnrned, they heard a noise; they 
Avent into the cavern with a light to 
see M'hat had happened, where they 
fonnd their slave extended lifeless ou 
the earth ; his ])ody seemed as tliongh 
it had been mangled with a pen-knife. 
The gashes represented a cross. The 
knights carried him to the borders of 
the sea, and precipitated him into it 
\\ ith a stone tied round his neck. 

Tliis fact is related by sir Gniot dc 
MarrC; an inhabitant of the i>.land. 



A /nost 



( 104 ) 



u4 most extraordinary account of a Ghost that 
appeared to a Young Man, jifter lifting 
up his bed, and removing his bedstead se- 
veral times, and making the most uncom^ 
monnoiseSy threw him into a kind of trance^ 

4 

Mr. S. ^ young man from twenty- 
four to twenty- five years of age, re- 
sided at St. Maur in the year 170^. 
After having heard a violent knock- 
ing at his door, being in bed without 
his servant, Avho ran immediately 
without seeing any body, and the 
curtains of his bed drawing, although 
there was no one but himself in the 
room. On the 22d of March in the 
same year, about eleven in tl)e even- 
ing having been regulating some pa- 
pers with three young lads his appren- 
tices; tliey all heard distinctly a noise 
like the rolling of papers upon the 

table ; 



( 10,5 ) 

table; the cat A\'as at first suspected; 
but ]\fr. S. haviuo; takcu a candle and 
searched diligently found nothing. 

Being in bed a short time after, an([ 
his boys sleeping in llie kitchen, -whielt 
u'as attached to his chamber, lie heard 
tlie same noise as before in his cabinet ; 
he got up to see M'hat it was, and hav- 
ing: found nothino* more than lie did 
at first, he was going to sluit tlic door, 
but he felt some resistance, upon which 
he went in, in order to sec Mhence the 
obstacle could proceed. He heard at 
the same mom.ent a noise in one cor- 
nier, similar to a blow tliat had been 
strucl; against the wall He screamed 
out; Ids servants came to his assist- 
ance; lie endeavoured to cheer them 
up, although terrified liiniself; and 
lia\ing found nothing, he went to bed 

again 



( 106) 

again and fell asleep. Scarce had the 
boys put out their light, when Mr. S. 
Avas awoke a second time by a sudden 
sliock, simihir to that of a boat strik- 
ing against the arch of a bridge. He was 
so alarmed that he called his servants, 
when on their bringing a light he was 
wonderfully surprized to find his bed 
removed at least four feet from its ori- 
ginal place. He immediately conceiv- 
ed tliat tlie shock he had felt proceed- 
ed from his bed striking against the 
wall. His domestics having replaced 
his bed, saw with as much astonish- 
ment as fear, the curtains open all at 
once, and the bed run towards the 
chimney. Mr. S. immediately arose, 
and passed the remainder of the night 
by his fire-side. About six o'clock 
in the morning, having made another 
attempt to sleep, he had no sooner 

laid 



( 107) 

laid clown, than the bed made tlic 
same nioveinent t^ice in presence of 
his attendants, who held the bed-posts 
to prevent its being displaced. In 
fine, beino' obh2:ed to resist any far- 
tlier, he went to take a walk till din- 
ner; after which having endeavoured 
to repose himself, and his bed having 
. been twice removed from its situa- 
tion, he sent for a gentleman M'ho 
lodged in the same house, as mtU to 
cheer his dejected spirits as for him 
to witness an instance so surprizing; 
but the shock tliat took place before 
the gentleman, was so violent that 
one of the posts Avere broken; this 
alamied \l\\ S. so much that when 
the gentleman begged that he might 
see it a second time, he replied, that 
what he had experienced, together 
with the dreadful noise that he had 

heard 



( 108 ) 

licard ill tlic night, were sufficient to 
convince him of the fact. 

Thus the affair, which had till then 
rested between Mr. S. and his do- 
mestics, became public. The report 
being quickly spread abroad, and 
liaving reached the ears of an illustri- 
ous prince who had just arrived at St. 
]\laur, his highness was curious t(^ 
liave the m3'stery unriddled, in conse- 
(jucnce of whicli, he gave himself the 
trouble to examine minutely into the 
facts that were related. As this ad- 
venture Mas the subject of every con- 
versation, nothing was heard shortly 
after but stories concerning; o;hosts 
by the most crcdidous, and plea- 
santiies on the part of others. In the 
interim I\Ir. S. was endeavouring to 
cheer himself up against the night 

following, 



( 109 > 

fodowing, and to render hfmself wor- 
thy of conversing M'ith the spectre^ 
as he had no doubt hut it liad some- 
thing to say to him. He slept till 
the next morning, nine o'clock, with- 
out having felt any thing more than 
little liftings up, as if tlie bed M'as 
rising up and down, which only served 
to rock him and make him sleep the 
sounder. The next day passed over 
quietly, but on the C6th the spectre 
Avhich appeared to lunc left off his 
tricks, resumed his sportive disposi- 
tion, and began in the morning to 
make a great noise in the kitchen. 
This, had it rested there, might liavc 
been looked over, but about twelve 
o'clock it grew uAore violent. Mr. 
S. who since confest that he had a 
particuku^ partiality for his cabinet, 
notwithstanding he had some fears of 
L being 



(110) 

being there by himself; going into it \\ 
about six o'clock, he made a few 
turns to the farther end^ and returning 
towards the door to go to his cham- 
ber, was very much surprized to find 
liimself shut up all alone and barri- 
caded with the two bolts. At the 
same moment the lid of a great chest 
opened behind him and rendered his 
cabinet rather dark on account of the 
window being behind the lid. 

This spectacle threw Mr. S. into a 
terror more easy to imao'ine than de- 
scribe ; however he had sar?g froid 
sufficient to hear with his left ear a 
distinct voice which proceeded from 
the corner of the cabinet, and which 
seemed to him about a foot above his 
head, which spoke to him in very en- 
gaging terms for some minutes, and 

ordered 



( 111 ) 

ci'dered liiin to do a certain tliinii;, 
4^oncerning which it recommended se- 
crecy, which he pubUshed. It gave 
him a fortnight to accomplish it; that 
it commanded hiiii to 2:0 in a place 
where he would llnd ])eople to instruct 
him what to do, and that it threaten- 
ed to return to torment him if he fail- 
ed in his obedience. Its conversation 
linished by an adieu. 

After this Mr. S. remembers to have 
fallen into a swoon upon the chest, 
during which time he felt a jKiin in 
hh side. The violent noise and shr^ ks 
that he fetrlied afterwards, occ^^sion- 
ed several persons to run to his assist- 
ance, who havini; made useless efforts 
to open the doors oftlie cabiuet, were 
proceeding to break it open with a 
crow, when they heard I\Ir. S. drag- 
L 2 ginj 



(112) 

ging himself along towards the door, 
which with much difficulty he open« 
ed. In confusion Avhen he appeai-ed, 
and beyond the power of utterance, 
they conveyed him to the fire^ and 
then to his bed, where he experienced 
all the compassion of the illustrious 
prince of whom we have already spo- 
ken, who ran at the first report of this 
event. His higiiness having visited 
every corner of the house without 
iinding any one concealed, wished Mr^ 
S. to be let blood; but his surgeoii 
perceiving his pulse to be v€ry low^ 
thought that it could not be done 
without danger. 

When he recovered from his swoon^ 
liis highness, who wished to discover 
the truth, interrogated him concern- 
ing his adventure. Mr. S. protested 

that 



( 113 ) 

that lie could not without running the 
risk of his life tell him any more. The 
spectre (lid not visit him again for a 
fortnight, but at the expiration oftiuit 
term^ whether his ordeis had not been 
faithfully executed, or whether he was 
o'lad to come and thank ]\Ir. S. for his 
exactitude, as he was one night sleep- 
ing in a little bed near to his cham- 
ber window, his mother in the great 
bed, and one of his friends in an arm 
chair near the (ire, they all three heard 
a violent knocking against the wall, 
and so o-reat a blow i2:iven a^'ainst 
the casement, that they thought all 
the i>-lass was lu'oken. Air. S. o-ot nT> 
immediately and went into his ca- 
binet, in order to see whether the im- 
portunate spectre had any thing more 
to say, l)ut he neither found nor 
heard anv thins;. Tliis iinishcd that 

adventure 



{ ll'i ) 

adventure, which made so much noise 
and attracted so many of the curious 

5lt St Mj^UFa 



A tall 



( n-- ) 

A tall Spectre that appeared in the air, icarrp* 
ing the people ofBesanson to amend — nheft 
a tcrrib/e earthqiiahe ensued^ xchich in- 
gulphed the li'hole eitu. 

In the town of Bcsaiison, on tlic 
Sd of December 1564^ about nine 
o'clock in. the morning, being as fine 
weather, mild and temperate, and as 
beautiful a sun as ever shone; a figure 
of a man was seen in the air about 
nine feet high, who exclaimed with 
an awful voice three times, '* People, 
people, people, amend or the end of 
your days is nigh;*' this liappened on 
a market day, in the pr^le^iceof more 
than ten thousand pers(Jfns; after say- 
ing these words the figure transform- 
ed itself into a naked one, and seemed 
to retire direct to^vards heaven. An 
hour after or thereabouts, a cloud 

over- 



( UG > 

ovcr-sliadowed and darkened the at- 
mosphere so much, that for twenty 
leagues round the city it appeared as 
though it were completely night; 
added to that, several persons were 
taken suddenly ill and died; the mi- 
serable inhabitants fell to prayers> 
forming processions, supplicating the 
Almighty to appease the weather. 
The honest villagers came from milea 
around, bringing their cliildren to 
the town. At the expiration of three 
days the most lovely weather suc- 
ceeded as before ; a little while after 
that the most boisterous wind arose 
that Av^as ever remembered, which 
continued for an hour and a half, and 
such a heavy fall of rain, that it 
seemed as though it came down in 
pipes, accompanied with a marvellous 
earthqiuike, so that the whole city 

was 



C HT ) 

nras ingiil[)ht?(l. And out of the flat 
country^ coinprchi'iuHng tlie said- 
town, forty miles long and thirty 
broad, notliing remained but a 
chuix:h, castle, and three houses, 
ivhich stood in the middle of the 
city ; they are still to be seen m 
form of a crescent, completely turned 
towards the east; several relics of 
the city walls are yet to be seen in 
the church and castle. Nunbers 
have certified the truth of the above 
accounts, who even Avent to the cm- 
peror to announce formally these hor- 
rible events. In fine, the name of 
the persons, all inhabitants of the 
villages of Penay and Guetz, who 
went to inform the emperor, were 
named as follows : Mr. de la Pile^ 
Mr. dc Courier, John Belon, John 
Pvufin, John ^lalucn, Stephen Pelis- 

soiu 



( 118 ) 

son, Peter Desgras, John Budaulb, 
John Pouhgney and Thomas Besnier. 

The aforesaid village of Penay, was 
about six miles distant from the city, 
the inhabitants of which, were so ter- 
rified at the earthquake that eleveo 
of them died with fear* 



Th9 



( 119) 



The Spirit of a departed Soul appears to n 
Coinitn/nuniy nho found a I use zchich 
contained its Ashes. 

Theodore de Gaze, had in Cam- 
pania a little farm, ^\liich was cnlti- 
vatcd by the assistance of one luis- 
Landman alone; as he was tilling the 
ground he discovered a round vase, in 
which were enclosed the ashes of a 
departed soul ; a spectre immediately 
appeared, which connnanded him to 
commit aii'ain to the earth the same 
vase with its contents, or his eldest 
son should die. The c'ountrymau 
paid no regard to its menaces, when 
a few days after his son was actually 
found lifeless in his bed. A short 
time after tlie same spectre appeared 
to liim, reiterating to him tlic same 

command, 



( 120 ) 

command, and threatened him with 
the death of his second son. The 
hushandman told this to his master 
Theodore, who went himself to the 
spot and put it carefully in its place. 

This fact is related by Le Loyen 



A supers 



( 121 ) 



A supernatural Agent appears to a HercJs- 
i?ian in the shape of a f/oung Girl, and 
thromxh its insinuations causes him toMur^ 
der his 0)ilij Son. 

Ix 1581, at Dalhcm, a village situate 
between Mazelle and Sarre, one Pier- 
ron, a liculsman. married, having one 
boy, formed a violent attachment for 
a voun^: Q'irl liis neio;hbour. One day 
as he Asas absorbed in thought about 
lier, she appeared to hun in the fields, 
or the demon in lier shape. Pierroii 
discovered his passion to lier, she pjo- 
miscd to accede to his desires on cdn- 
illtion that he vould give Inmself up 
to her and be oljcdicnt to her in cvviy 
thing. Pierron consented to it and 
consummated lii.^ abominable passion 
vith the spectre. wSome time after 
M Abrahel 



( 122 ) 

Abrahel, (which was the name the 
demon assumed), begged as a pledge 
of his affection, that he would sacri- 
fice to her his only son, and at the 
same moment gave him an apple for 
his son to eat, who having tasted of 
it fell lifeless on the floor. The pa- 
rents frantic with despair, were incon- 
solable. 

Abrahel appeared to the herdsman 
a second time, and promised to re- 
store his son to life provided he would 
grant him the favour to adore him as 
his God. The peasant fell upon his 
knees and adored Abrahel, Avhen the 
child began immediately to breathe: 
he opened his eyes, they warmed him, 
rubbed his body, and in about the 
space of half an hour he resumed the 
use of his limbs and faculties. He 

was 



( l'^^ ) 

was the same in person as before, ex- 
cepting more emaciated, more hag- 
gard, more feeble ; his eyes hmguid 
and sunk in ; his mo\'ements\verc more 
slow and embarrassed ; his senses more 
dull ard stupid. At the expiration 
of a t\\elvemonth, the demon that 
animated him left him with a violent 
noise, the youth fell backwards ; 
when his corse infected, and with an 
insupportable odour, was drawn with 
a crook out of his father's house 
and interred M'ithout ceremony in a 
field. 

This event Avas related at Nancy, 
and examined by the magistrates, 
who enquired minutely into the fact, 
heard witnesses, and found the cir- 
cumstance precisely as above. This 
M 2 account 



( 124 ) 

account was furnished us by Mr. Ni- 
cholas Remy, procuror general of 
Lorraine. 



Txv(^ 



( li:-5 ) 



Tii'o Genthint^n having promised that he zcho 
should die first, should eome and inform 
the other how he approved of immortality ; 
at his Decease his Spirit actually/ ap- 
peared mounted upon a White Horse* 



Michael ]\Iercati, prothono- 
taiy of St. Siege, a gentleman of 
known property and very learned, 
more especially in Platonic philoso- 
phy, to which he incessantly apphed 
himself with Marsilus Fieinhis friend, 
as zealous as himself to Plato's doc- 
trine. One day these two great phi- 
losophers discoursing upon the im- 
mortality of the soul, and whether it 
staid ar.d existed after the decease of 
the body. Having discoursed large- 
ly upon that subject they promised 

each 



( 1G6 ) 

each other and shook hands, that the 
fjrst who should depart this world 
should come and inform the other of 
his future state. 

Having thus separated, it happened 
some time after, that the same Mi- 
chael Mercati was wide awake and 
studying at an early hour in the morn- 
ing the same subjects of philosophy, 
he heard a noise all of a sudden, si'-^ 
niilar to the noise of a cavalier com- 
ing in great haste at his door, and at 
the same time heard the voice of his 
friend Marsilus, who exclaimed out 
to him : — " Michael, Michael ! No*^ 
thing is more true than what has been 
said of the other w^orld/'- — Michael 
immediately opened the window, and 
saw Marsilus mounted upon a white 
horse which flew away with him full 

speed. 



( 127 ) 

speed. jMiehael cried out to liim to 
stop, but lie continued his course till 
he was out of sight. 

]\rarsihis Fiein lived then at Flo- 
rence, and died tliere at the same 
hour that he had appeared and spoken 
to his friend. The latter wrote im- 
mediately to Florence to inquire into 
the truth of the fact, when he was 
informed that Alarsilus had departed 
at his same moment as IMichael had 
heard his voice and the sound of his 
horse at the door. Since that adven- 
ture Michael Mercati although very 
determined in his conduct before, 
was transform.ed into another man, 
and lived in a manner quite exem- 
plary, and as a perfect model of the 
christian life* 

Cardinal 



( 128 ) 

Cardinal Barronius relates this fact. 
(Barronius ad an. Christi 40. torn. 5. 
annaL) 



The 



( i^9 ) 



The Jpparttlon of a Man scats himself hj 
his side the Day before his Deaths 



A SOLDIER being quartered in tlie 
lioiisc of a Haiclamac peasant, on the 
frontiers of Hungary, saw a stranger 
come in and seat himself beside his 
host while they were at table. The 
inaster of the house was wonderfully 
frightened as well as the rest of the 
company. The soldier knew not what 
to think, being ignorant as to the re* 
suit of what had happened. But the 
landlord expiring on the succeeding 
day, the soldier enquired into tlie 
matter of surprize, lie was informed 
it was the father of his host, a^Iio 
died about ten years prior to that 
epoch, who had come thus to seat 

himself 



( 130 ) 

himself beside him, and had announced 
and occasioned his deatL 

The soldier at first informed the re- 
giment of it, and the regiment car- 
ried the news to the general officers, 
who commissioned the Count of Ca- 
breras, a captain of a regiment of 
Alandetti infantry, to enquire into 
the fact Having arrived at the place 
with other officers, a surgeon and a 
judge, they took down the depositions 
of all the people of the house, who 
attested in an uniform manner, that 
the spectre was the landlord's father, 
and that every thing that the soldier 
had said and related was strictly 
true, which was likewise attested by 
all the inhabitants of the village. 






( 131 ) 



j4n Angel appears to a religious Character 
in a Monaster}/. 

A YOUNG man of very great family 
named Clarus, and m bo after having 
finished his studies was elevated to 
the order of priesthood, giving him- 
self to the worship of the Almighty 
in a monaster}^, conceived he had an 
open commerce with the angels; and 
as it is hardly to be believed, he said 
that on the night following, the Om- 
nipotent would give him a m bite coat 
in order that he might appear among 
them. In fact about twelve o'clock 
at night the whole monastery seemed 
as though it Mcre agitated by an 
earthquake. The cell of the young 
man appeared most brilliantly illumi- 
nated; and a noise as though a num- 
ber 



( 132 ) 

bcr of people were going, coming, 
and conversing with each other. 

After this had taken place he went 
out of his cell, and presented himself 
to the friars in the tunic, with which 
he was invested ; it Av^as composed of 
a stuff of an astonishing whiteness, 
brilliant, and of an extraordinary fine 
texture, insomuch that no one was 
able to say of what substance it Avas 
wrouo'ht. 



'-^^ 



The remainder of the night was 
passed in singing psalms and offering 
up thanksgivings : in the morning 
they wanted very much to conduct 
him to St. ]\Iartin; he made every 
possible resistance, saying that he had 
been expressly forbidden to appear in 
his presence. While they were press- 



ing 

1 



( 133 ) 

inghim to go there, the tunic vanished 
before the eyes of every one present; 
vhich proved clearly to all that it 
must have been an illusion of the de- 
mon, who was transforming himself 
into an angel of light. (Sulpitius Sc- 
te?\ vit. S. Mart 171, c. \5.) 



N Th^ 



( 134 ) 



The Spirit of a PJiilosopher while sleeping 
transports itself into a distant Country. 

A VERY learned character of Dijon, 
after having been perplexed the whole 
day upon an important point of a 
Greek poet without being able to com- 
prehend its meaning, went to repose 
amidst all his embarrassed thoughts. 
While he was asleep, his geni transport- 
ed him in idea to Stockholm, intro- 
duced him into the palace of her Chris-* 
tian Majesty, conducted him into the 
library, and shewed him a little vo- 
lume, which was precisely the one he 
was in search of He opened it, and 
read ten or a dozen Greek verses, which 
cleared up actually the difficulty that 
had impeded him so long, lie awoke, 
and committed to paper the verses that 

hr 



( 135 ) 

he had seen at Stockliohri. Tlie next 
clay he wrote to ^Ir. Descartes, who 
v^as then in Sweden, and begged him 
to look in sueli and sueli a partition of 
the lii)rary, and see whether the book, 
of which he sent liini a description, 
was there, and whetlier the Greek 
verses tliat he had transmitted were 
contained in it. 

Mr. Descartes wrote him that he 
had found the book in question, and 
that the verses were actually in the 
very place he had pointed out; that one 
of his friends had promised him a copy 
of the woik, and would send it him 
the first opportunity. 



X 2 A Spectre 



( 136 ) 



A Spectre appears to an Old Woman, and 
points out a hidden treasure. 

An old woman of Malta was in- 
formed by a geni, that there was m 
her cellar concealed a treasure of 
inestimable value, belonoinoi: to a 
knight of very great distinction, 
and ordered her to inform him of it. 
She went, but found it impossible to 
obtain an audience. The night fol- 
lowing, the same geni returned; gave 
her a similar charge; and on her re- 
fusing to obey he ill treated her, and 
sent her back a second time. On the 
following day she went to the noble- 
man again, and told the servants that 
she would not leave the house until 
she had seen their master. She re- 
lated to him what had happened to 

her; 



( 137 ) 

her; upon heaving- this the knight re- 
solved to go home with her, accompa- 
nied hy a number of persons furnished 
vith pickaxes and otlier instruments 
used in digging up tlie earth. The} dug, 
and in a very little time such a torrent 
of water issued from the fracture they 
liad made, that they were obhged tp 
give up their enterprize. 

The knight went, and confessed to 
tlie inquisitor what he had done, and 
received absolution. Still he w as oblig- 
ed to write in the registers of the in- 
quisition the fact we have just related. 

About sixty years after, the canons 
of the cathedral at Malta being desir- 
ous of forming before tlieir church a 
more extensive square, purchased se- 
veral houses in order to pull down, 

and 



( 138 ) 

and amongst others that \vhich had be- 
longed to the old Avonian. Digging 
there they found the treasure which 
consisted of several pieces of gold 
about the value of a ducat, bearing 
the eflfigy of Justin I. The Lord Stew- 
ard of Malta pretended that the trea- 
sure belonged to him, as sovereign of 
the island : the canons contested it 
Avith him. The affair was carried to 
Rome: tlie Lord Steward gained his 
cause : the gold was brought to him, 
to the value of about sixty thousand 
ducats. However he gave them to the 
cathedral church. 

Some time after the knight of whom 
we have spoken, who was then very 
much in years, remembering what had 
happened, pretended that the treasure 
ought to belong to him. He ordered 

himself 



( 159 ) 

himself to be conducted to tlie spot^ 
recognized tiie cave in which he had 
formerly been, and pointed ont in the 
registers of the incjuisition ^vhat lie 
had written there sixty years before. 
That, however, did not enable him to 
recover the treasure ; still it was a 
convincing proof that the demon was 
acquainted with, and presided' over,, 
the money. 



A Spirit 



( 140 ) 



A Sjjirit convinces a Fhilosophcr in a Dreart^ 
of the immortality of the Soul. 

A Physician named Geniradc, a 
great friend of St. Augustin, and well 
known at Carthage by his extensive 
u:enius and his benevolence to the 
poor^ doubted there was any other life 
after this. One night he saw in a 
dream a young man, who said, — '' fol- 
low me." — he followed him in idea, 
and went into a city, w^here he heard 
on his right an astonishing melody ; 
he had not the least remembrance of 
what he saw on his left. 

Another time, he saw the same 
young man, who said to hnn ; ''Do 
you recollect me?" ^'Exceeding 
well/' replied he. ^' And how came 

you 



( 141 ) 

you to know me?'' He then related 
to him every thing that this youtli 
had shewn him in tlic eitv into which 
he had conducted him. The young* 
man added, " ^^'as it then in a dream 
or awake tliat you saw all this ?" — '^ In 
a dream/' said he; '' And what I am 
saying to you now, do you hear it in 
a dream or awake?" ^' In a dream/' 
replied he. '' How is it then possible 
for you to see me?'' As he was hesi- 
tating, and knew not how to answer, 
the young man resumed : " Just as 
you see and hear me now your eyes 
are closed, and your senses are asleep, 
shall you after death, live, see, and 
hear, but with the faculties of tlic 
spirit; therefore never form a doubt 
that there is no life after thi.^. — This 
event is related l)y St. Augusiin. 

A Boat' 



( 142 ) 



A Book flics from one place to another^ and 
opens by an inxisihU hand. 

When Mr. Patris accompanied 
Mr. Gaston in Flanders, he resided in 
the castle of Egmont: the hour for 
dinner being arrived, and on going 
out of his chamber to the room in 
which they dined, he stopped as he 
-wa? passing the door of an officer be* 
longing to Mr. Gaston's regiment, in 
order to take him with him : he knock- 
ed tolerably hard ; seeing the officer 
did not come he knocked again, and 
called him at the same time, asking 
him whether he did not mean to come 
to dinner. The officer made no an- 
swer; Patris having no doubt but he 
w^as in his room, as the key was iu 
the door, opened it, and on going in, 

saw 



( 1« ) 

saw him slttinp; at his table Hke one 

distracted; he went up t() him and 

asked him what he was about. The 

officer recovering himself, said ^' You 

would not be less surprized than my- 
self, if you had seen as well as I, that 

book you see yonder tly there of its 

own accord, and the leaves turn over 

of themselves, without beholding any 

thing farther." It was a philosophical 

uork of Cordan, concerning the sub* 

tility of matter. ^' Come, come,'' 

said Mr. Patris, '^ vou are oidv iest* 

ing, your imagination filled with what 

you had just read, you must have got 

up and put tjie book in the place 

where it is, and on sitting down again 

with your senses absorbed, and not 

finding: the book before vou, vou 

have thought it went there of" itself." 

j 'J ^\'hat I tell you," icpHecl the ofliccr, 

"15 



( 144 ) 

^^ is very true, and as a proof that it 
Avas no vision, out of that door, 
which was opened and shut, the ghost 
retired." M\\ Patris went to open 
the door he spoke of, Avhich took 
him into a long gallerj^, at the end of 
which, there was a w^ooden chair so 
heavy w4iich must have been impos- 
sible for two of the strongest men to 
lift. This chair was seen to move of 
its own accord, and quitting its place, 
came straight towards him, as if sup- 
ported in the air: terrified at this pro- 
digy, Mr. Patris exclaimed out, '' Mr. 
Devil, the concerns of God apart, I 
am very much your servant; but I 
beg of you not to frighten me any 
more;" upon which the chair return- 
ed into its place. This made a very 
strong impression upon the mind of 
Mr. Patris, and did not a little con- 
tribute 



( 1-^5 > 

tribute to inspire him with religion. — 
Mr. Segrais makes mention in hii 
historical remarks of this event, Avho 
says he learnt it from ]\lr. Patris him- 
self, M'ho was a gentleman M'orthy of 
belief, and who related it to him in 
the most serious manner possible. 



The 



( U6 ) 

The Apparition of a Woman after lier decease 
visits and torments htr Dautrhter. 

Before and after Easter in the 
year 1700, an apparition made. its ap- 
pearance in the house of Mr. Vidi, a 
tax gatherer of Dourdaus, which com- 
nienced by making a noise in a room 
at a distance from any other, which 
was appropriated to the use of one of 
his servants, who happened to be in- 
disposed; the poor girl frequently 
heard the most profound groans, 
similar to those of a penwn in dis- 
tress, but saw nor felt nothing. She 
laid under these miserable apprehen- 
sions of fear nearly for the space of 
six months. When she v/as recovered 
Air. Vidi sent bcr to her father's, in 
order to breathe her native air; she 
staid there about a month, during 

which 



( H7 ) 

M'hlcli time she neither saw nor lieard 
any thing extraordinary. 

At the expiration of which time, slic 
returned lionie in perfect health, ex- 
cept that of havinji,' a rasli, being the 
relics of her disorder. Mr. and Mrs. 
Vidi ordered her again to sleep in the 
little room ; the sound of these words 
so alarmed her, that slie told them the 
must absolutely be excused, as she 
had frequently heard a noise there. 
Two or three days after being in an 
outhouse, where she went to fetch 
some wood, she felt sometliing pull 
her by the petticoat. After dinner 
on the same day, Mrs. Vidi sent her 
to hear a particular mass which is 
said after Easter; as she was comijig 
out of the church, slie felt the invi- 
sible spectre pull her with such vio- 
O 2 lence 



C 148 ) 

lence by the petticoat, that she stood 
for some time motionless. An hour 
after this she returned home, and on 
going into her mistresses room, she 
was attacked a third time in the same 
familiar stile. Mrs. Vidi perceiving 
her terrified enquired into the cause, 
when the poor unfortunate told her 
how she had been beset at different 
times, and at that very moment she 
had been caught hold of b)^ an un- 
known hand : Mrs. V. looking at her 
)&tedfastly, perceived that several plaits 
of her petticoat were torn out behind, 
and that a clasp that fastened it was 
broken. The girl had at that time 
both her hands engaged. 

Mrs.H^. seeing this prodigy shud- 
dered at it with horror, and told the 
servant to go immediately into an 

antichamber, 



( 1-^9 ) 

antlchamber, and put down that which 
she had in her hands. As she was 
goHig- out of the room the spectre 
palled licr very hard again: this was 
on a Friday evening. On Sunday 
night as soon as slie was in bed, she 
iieard it walking in her chamber, and 
a short time after that the spectre 
came and laid itself by her side, and 
passed a hand ovcrlier face of a death- 
ly coldness as if it wanted to caress 
lier. Slie took her rosary wliich was 
in her pocket, and put it round her 
neck. Air. and Airs. \'idi had told 
Ijcr on the day preceding, that if she 
continued liearing any thing, for lier 
to conjure tlie spirit in the name of 
C'Od to explain itself to her, wlilch 
.^he did mentally ; the terror she was 
ill at that awful moment having de- 
prived her of her speech. She then 

heard 



( 150 ) 

heard a muttering noise, but nothing: 
articulate. Between three and four 
in the morning the spectre made so 
great a noise that it seemed as though 
the house was falhng down. This 
awoke every body. Mrs. Vidi called 
her Jille de chamhre to go and see 
%vhat it was, thinking it might have 
been the servant. They found her in 
a dripping perspiration; she dressed 
herself all but her stockings, which 
she could not find. She went in thit 
state into Mr. and Mrs. V.'s chamber^ 
^vho saw a cloud of smoke similar to 
a fog that followed her and disap- 
peared in a moment after. She made 
them a recital of every thing that had 
taken place. They told her to get 
lierself in readiness, and as soon as 
the bells rang for mass at five o'clock 
she must go to confess and receive 

the 



( l^'l ) 

the sacrament. She vent to fetch 
her stockings that she could not iinch 
Her mistress told her to searcli every 
'S\'here under the bed, >vhich she did, 
but she found them thrown upon the 
tester: she reached them down with a 
long stick. She found lier shoes set 
upright against the window, and ob- 
served that one of the windows was 
open. AVhen she had resumed her 
senses she went to confess and receive 
the sacrament. On her return, Mr. 
Vidi asked her what she had done. 
She told him tliat as soon as she went 
to tlie communion table she saw Iier 
mother by her side, who looked just 
the same as she did in lier illness al- 
thou2:h she had been dead eleven vears. 
After the communion slie retired into 
a chapel, where she had no sooner en- 
tered, but her mother fell upon her 

knees 



( 152 ) 

knees before her and took hold of her 
liands saying," — " Daughter, be not 
afraid, I am your mother. Your bro- 
ther was burnt by an accident while I 
was at the lord of the manor's oven at 
Oisonville, near d'Etampes. I went 
immediately to the good old curate 
of Garanecirs to ask a penitence, 
thinking that misfortune was occa- 
sioned through my neglect. He would 
not ?ive it me, savins; I was not cul- 
pable, and sent me to the peniten- 
tiarist at Chartres. I went to him, 
and he refused in the same manner to 
give me one; but as he saw that I 
persisted in having one, that which f 
he impose 'vi upoti me was, to wear a 
horse-hail p irdle for two yCc/ts, which 
I was unable to execute ou account 
of my prc^mai clcs a..u iiidispcsitions. 
Being now dead will you fulfill this 

penance 



( ^^^ ) 

penance for me ?'' The daughter pro- 
mised she would. The mother tlieu 
charged her to fast upon bread and 
Avater four Fridays and Saturdays, to 
order mass to be said at (iromerville, 
to pay to one Lanier, a miller, twenty- 
six sous whiehshe owed him for flour, 
that he had sold her ; and to go iuto 
the cellar of the house where she died; 
that she would find the sum of seven 
livres which she had concealed under 
the first step ; that if the person to 
whom the house then belonged would 
not suffer her to look there, she was not 
to force him, as she was not in paiti 
for it ; to make a journey to Chartres 
for her to the church of Xotrc dame, 
and that she would yet speak to her 
once more. She made her many re- 
monstrances, telling her that she must 
prav to the Viri»iii .\Iar\' that God 

^\oul(l 



( 154 ) 

would refuse her nothing, that pe- 
nance in this world was very easy to 
perform ; but that in the other was 
very difficult. 

On the next day she ordered a mas^ 
to be said, during which time the 
spectre took off her beads. The sam.e 
day it took hold of her hand and 
pressed it most affectionately. The 
two following days she saw it stand- 
ing by the side-board while Mr. and 
Mrs. Vidi were at supper; her master 
perceiving her look chilled with hor- 
ror while the big drops ran trickling 
down her cheeks, he made signs to her 
to know what was the matter. She 
told him that she saw her mother; 
and on the next day >vhen there was 
not so many people, she shewed Mr. 
and Mrs. Vidi that it was still in the 

same 



( 155 ) 

same place, but tlicy saw nothing. 
Mr. Vidi thought it was expedient for 
her to acquit as soon as possible her 
mother's obligations ; on that account 
he sent her the first opportunity to 
Gromerville, where she gave orders 
for#a mass, payed the twenty-six sous 
^diich wQir actunily due, and found 
the i^evcn Yvics M'hich Avere under the 
third step of the cellar as the spectre 
had indicated. From thence slie went 
to Chartres, wliere she ordered three 
masses to be said and received the sa- 
crament in tlie choir. As she was 
coming out her mother appeared to 
her a second t me, saying '' daughter 
^vill you d> all I told you?" The 
daughter replied yes, at the same 
time she said to her ; — '' I shall acquit 
myself and charge you with it in my 

place. 



( 156) 

place. I bid you adieu, speak not to 
me I am going to eternal glory/' 

Since that period the girl neither 
saw nor heard any thing more. She 
wore the horse-hair girdle night and 
day for two years as her mother had 
recommended. 

This fact, taken from a manuscript 
of Mr. Barce, was written December 
15, 1700, by Mr. Vidi to Mn Quin- 
dre his friend at Orleans. 



This 



( 157 ) 



This Historical Trarf , rr>prcfi/ry (yfar/cs Ic 
Ch(iiii'i\ related l)}f hint -(If in l^atin, rca^ 
extracted J n))ii the nuuniMn-ijit^ '24i-7. hc^ 
Jongi)}'^ to the \(ili()}ial J^ihrar?/, in fn/in^ 
2)age 188. The tra?is/ation is,asJo//orc's. 

One SiUKlay iiigiit rcturnino' from 
inatins, as this prince was goino; to 
repose, an awful voice murmured iu 
])is ears. '' Charles tliy spirit is going 
to leave thy body, thou slialt come 
and see the judgments of the Omni- 
potent, which shall serve thee either 
as a preservative or presage. 'J1iy 
.spirit nevertheless shall l)e rendered to 
thee some time after. At that mo- 
ment his spirit was ravished from liini, 
and the spectre tliat bore it a^ay was 
of a splciuHd whiteness. He put in- 
to his hand a clew of thread which 
P cast 



( 158 ) 

cast forth an extraordinary light very 
similar to that of a comet. He un- 
Avound it and said, ^^Take this thread 
and tie it fast to the thumb of your 
right hand ; by \diich means I will 
conduct you into the infernal laby- 
rinths." 

This being done he Malked before 
nie with an astonishing swiftness, 
said the king, but kept unw^inding 
this clew of luminous thread, he con- 
ducted me into profound vaUies of 
lire and full of burning pits, where 
pitch, sulphur, lead, wax, and other 
unctuous matters were bubbling up. 
I remarked the prelates who had served 
my father and ancestors. Although 
trembling I did not fail interrogating 
them to learn the cause of their tor- 
ments. They replied, " we have been 

bishops 



( m ) 

bishops of your father and ancestors, 
wt and instead of exciting' in thcni peace 
and union, we have only sown amongst 
them discord and trouble. On that 
very account we are cngulphed in 
these subterraneous caverns with ho- 
micides and thieves. It is here your 
bishops will come and all that nu- 
merous train of officers that surround 
you and imitate us in evil 

While the king all in a tremble^ was 
considering these things, he perceived 
a great number of black and horrible 
monsters, who with crooks and flam- 
ing swords fell upon him in order to 
seize the clew of thread from the 
hands of the prince; but the extreme 
light that it cdst prevented them from 
taking it. These same demons Mant- 
cd to seize the king behind and pre- 
P C cipitate 



( 1^0 ) 

cipitatc him into the pits of sulphur^ 
but tliC conductor guarded him care- 
fully from the snares they were then 
extending for him, and led him upon 
the top of lofty mountains^ from Mdience 
the torrents of fire arose which melted 
and kept in a boiling state all kinds of 
metals. There, said the king, I found 
the souls of lords who had served my 
father and brothers; some wereplungecl 
over their heads, others up to the 
chin, and others to the middle of their 
waist. They then exclaimed, address- 
ing themselves to me, '^Alas! Charles 
you see hov/ we are punished in these 
torrents of flames, for having sown 
trouble and division between your fa- 
ther, brothers and yourself!" I can- 
not however help, continued king 
Charles, bewailing their misfortunes. 
At the same time I saw dragons dart- 
ing 



( 161 ) 

ing at inc witli tlicir fiery mouths en- 
deavouring to engul])h me, but my 
couductor fortified me by tlie clew of 
tliread n\ ith whicU he surrounded me, 
and the extraordinary light so dazzled 
the dangerous animals that they could 
not reacli me. We then descended 
into a valley, the ore of which Avas 
dismal and obscure, but notwithstand- 
ing liiled with burning furnaces: I 
.found the opposite side very light and 
pleasant. 

I endeavoured particularly to exa- 
mine tnc obscure side; there I saw 
kings of my ov/n race tormented with 
strange punishments. My heart devour- 
ed by cnuHi and grief, I thought every 
moment of being precipitated head- 
long into the same gulpl), by gloomy 
monsters, that set the whole valley in 

ilames 



( 1(^2 ) 

flames. Fear did not forsake me. 
However by the means of this lumin- 
ous clew ; I perceived that the other 
side of the valley began to grow 
lighter, uhen I remarked two foun- 
tains, the water of one was very warm, 
and the other more mild and temper- 
ate. By means of the lummous clew 
^\hich conducted me, I observed twa 
casks each of them filled with these 
different waters. In the one I saw mj 
father Lewis, Avho was plunged up ta 
his Avaist. Although overwhelmed 
^vith grief and sorrow, lie kept cheer- 
ing up my spirits, and said ; my dear 
sou Charles, fear nothing, I know^ 
your spirit will return into your body;: 
it is the Almighty who has permitted; 
you to come here in order to see me 
suffer for my sins, from this cask of 
boiling Avater, I am conveyed from 

day 



( i^>;5 ) 

ilay to day, into that of a miUt and 
moderate heat. It is a consolatioa 
that I owe to tlic prayers of St. Peter^ 
St. Dennis and St. Kcniy, wlio are the 
proteetovs of onr royal house; l)ut 
through your prayers, ofllcMing's, ahns^ 
you eau assist nie, you my faithful 
bishops, ahl^ots, and even all the ec- 
clesiaj^tical order, uhen I shall not be 
long before I am delivered from this 
boiling cask. Your brother Lothario 
and Lewis his son, have been exempt 
from these punishments through the 
intercession of St. Peter, St. Dennis 
and St. Rcmy; and they now enjoy 
all the delights of paradise. Look on 
your left, says my father to me; I im- 
mediatelv turned nn' head and I ob- 
served two large and spacious casks 
of boiling water. '* l^chold to wliat 
thou art destined, continued he, if you 

do 



( 164 ) 

do not correct yourself and do penance 
for your crimes." Dread seized me 
instantaneously, when my guide who 
perceived it, said, '^ Follow me into 
the part which is on the right of this 
valley, wl^erein is found all the glory 
of paradise. I did not walk far, be- 
fore I saw in the midst of the most 
illustrious of kings, my uncle Lotha- 
rio, seated upon a topa of an extraor- 
dinary size, and crowned with a rich 
diadem. His son Lewis was in splen- 
dor just as brilliant; scarce had be 
perceived me when with an affection- 
ate voice he called to me and spoke 
-•in the following terms; '' Charles, 
who are my third successor in the 
lloman Empire, approach." I know, 
continued he, that you are come in 
these places of torment and trouble, 
where your father and brother have 

yet 



f ( IG5 ) 

vet to suficr a consi(lcnil)lc time. But 
))y the merey of God they will be de-- 
livered from their sufferings at last, in 
tlie sam.e manner as Ave were extri- 
cated from ours, tlirough tlie prayers 
of St. Peter, ^t, Dennis and St. Remy> 
Avhom God has established as the pa- 
trons ofmonarchs and theFrench nation- 
And had tliey not been our proteetors 
our family would have been no longer 
on tlie throne. Know then that it 
will not be long before vou are de- 
throned, after which you shall live a 
little while. Lewis turning; himself 
towards me, tlie Roman Empire, said 
he, which you have possessed till now, 
must pass incessantly into the hands of 
Lewis my daughter's son : at that very 
moment I perceived tlie youth. Com- 
^ mit to him then the soveieign autho- 
xitv, continued Lewis, and :;'i\'e In'm 

proofs 



( ^66 ) 

proofs of it, by entrusting him \vitli 
tlie clew that you now hold. I im- 
mediately detached it from my hand 
to give him. By that he was invested 
with the empire, and the whole clew 
was in his hand. Scarce was he mas- 
ter of it, but he became arrayed in 
robes of light; and what is very sin- 
gular, my spirit returned into my 
body. Thus the whole world will see in 
despight of earthly struggles, that he 
will possess the whloe Roman Empire 
that God has destined to him, and I 
shall have passed to another life: this 
shall the Lord execute, whose power 
extends to all ages over the living and 
the dead. Amen* 



n^ 



( 1G7 ) 



The Ghost of a Xoblcma?! appears in armour 
tv his (Jomviandcr luuUr whose sertiec he 
had lost his life, 

A GKNTLKMAxnaniccI Jlumocrt, the 
son of a nobleirian named Giiichard, of 
Cclioc, in the diocese of Macon, having 
ir one cKay declared war v, ith some other 
noblemen of his neighbourhood, a 
gentknnan named Jelfery, received in 
th(' fiay a wound of which he died ou 
the spot. 

About two months after this same 
Jeffery appeared to a gentleman nanud 
Milo, and heic^ed him to tell Hum* 
bert in ^' hos ser\'ice he had lo>t his 
life, that he v. js in torment for ha\ ing 
assisted in an iiir)ust war, and for not 
having expiated before his dcalli his 

sins 



( 168 ) 

sins by penance ; that he intreated 
him to take compassion on him 
and his father Guichard, who had 
bequeathed him vast possessions, which 
he had idly lost, besides one part of 
which was dishonestly acquired; that 
in fact Guichard, Humbert's father^Jiad 
embraced a religious life at Cluny; 
but that he had had time to satisfy 
the justice of God for the sins of his 
past life; that he conjured him then 
to offer for him and his father the sa- 
crifice of mass, to give alms and ob- 
tain the prayers of people of fortune 
in order to procure them both a 
speedy deliverance from the troubles 
thev had endured. lie added, tell 
liim that if he will not listen to you I 
shall be obliged to go myself and an- 
nounce to him what 1 have just told 
you. 



( ^^9 ) 

M\\o acquitted himself taitlihiUy 
of his commission. Humbert was ter- 
rified at it, but lie did not become the 
better for it. At all times fearing lest 
Guichard his father, or Jefferev should 
come to trouble him, he never dared 
to stay l)y himself, ami more especi- 
ally during* the night, he always 
made some of his people be witli him 
to keep liim company. One morning 
as he was lyinu- awake in his bed, he 
saw Jeffery stand before Inm, armed 
as in the day of battle, mIio slieued 
liim the mortal wound he had re- 
ceived, and which appeared still quite 
fresh. lie reproached him bitterly 
for the little compassion he shewed 
towards liim and his own father, w lio 
was groaning in torments. '* 'i^ikc 
care/' added he, '' lest tlie Almighty 
should treat you in his wrath, and 
(^ deny 



( 170) 

deny you the mercy that you refuse 
us ; and more especially, take great care 
to execute the resokition that you 
have takeu to go to war witli the 
Count Armccles ; should you do that, 
you will lose your life and fortune.'* 

He spoke, and Humbert was just 
going to answer him, when Squire 
Vichard, Humbert's counsellor, ar- 
rived from mass, and the spectre dis- 
appeared. From that moment Hum- 
bert laboured seriously to comfort 
his father and Jeifery, and resolved to 
jnake the journey to Jerusalem, in or- 
der to expiate his sins. 

This fact is related by Peter the 
venerable, abbot of Cluny4 



The 



( 171 ) 



The Ghost of a Young Lady commits several 
acts of violence . 

Is the country of Itatans in Pcni, 
a young lady named Catharine, died 
at the age of sixteen, an untimely 
death, and guilty of several sacrileges. 
Her corse immediately after her de- 
cease was so infected, that it was 
obliged to be put in the open air, 
in order to get rid of the putrid odour 
that exlniled from it. At that very 
hour dreadful bowlings of dogs were 
heard ; and a horse before exceeding 
; tame, began to prance, kick, tear 
, up the earth with his feet, and after- 
v/ards broke from his stable. A 
young man who was lying in his bed 
Was torn out of it by his arm with 
violence, A servant received a blow 
Q 2 upon 



( 172 ) 

upon the shoulder, of which she car- 
ried the marks for several days. All 
this happened before the corse of Ca- 
tharine was inhumed. Some time after 
several inhabitants of the place saw a 
great quantity of bricks and tiles^ 
thrown with a great noise off the 
house in which she died. The maid- 
servant of the house was dragged 
along by her Jeg, without any one 
apparently touching her, and that 
happened in presence of her mistress, 
and ten or twelve other ladies. 

The same servant going into a room 
to take some cloaths, perceived Ca- 
tharine, w4io arose up to seize aa 
earthen vessel. The girl fled immedi- 
ately, but the spectre took the vase, 
threw it against the wall, and broke 
it in a thousand pieces. The mistress^ 

baving; 



( 173 ) 

having ran at tlie noise, saw a quarter 
of a brick daslied with violence against 
the windows. The next chiy the image 
of a crucifix affixed to the wall was 
suddenly torn away, in presence of all 
the housC; and broken in three pieces^ 



On 



( 174) 



A Young Gentleman troubled hif the incan^ 
tatlons of a Wizard. — A fact related by a 
Clergyman. 

On Friday the 1st of May 1705, 
ilbout five in the evening, Dennis Mis- 
anger, a young man eighteen years of 
age, was attacked Avith an extraordi- 
nary malady, which commenced by a 
species of lethargy. Every surgi-cal 
and medicinal aid was given him : he 
then fell into a species of madness, or 
convulsions, when he was obliged to 
be held by five or six persons, fearing 
lest he should precipitate himself out 
of the Avindows, or beat his brains out 
against the wall. The emetic which 
was given him, made him cast up a 
quantity of bile; after which he Avas- 
tolerably composed for four or five 

days. 

Towards 



( 175 ) 

Towards the end of the month of 
May, lie was sent into the country to 
take tlie air : lie again was taken with 
another indisposition, so very unusual 
that it was thought he was hewitched; 
and what confirmed them in tlieir con- 
jecture, was, that he had never had a 
fever, nor ever lost his strength in all 
his illness. They asked him m hether 
he had never had any dealings with 
any one suspected of sorcery or 
^'itclicraft. 

He declared that on tlic 18th of 
April preceding, as he was riding 
through the village of Noisy, his 
horse stopped short in the middle of 
Feret Street, opposite the chaj^el, and 
in despiglit of all his efforts with the 
wdiip and spur, he could not make him 
go on. A shepherd was at that time 

leaning' 



( 176 ) 

leaning against the chapel with ^ 
crook in his hand and two black doirs 
by his side. The man advancing to- 
wards him, said: ^^ Sir, I would advise 
you to return homCy for your horse 
will go no fartlier." Young Dennis 
spurring his horse, said to the shep- 
herd : *' I do not understand what you 
say." The shepherd replied in a low 
tone of voice: ^' then I will make 
you." In fact tl>e young man was^ 
obliged to alight from his horse, and 
lead him by the bridle to his father's, 
who lived in the same village : the 
shepherd must have then set a spell 
upon him which commenced on the 
first of Mav. 

During this illness several masses 
were said in different places, more es- 
pecially at St. Maur-des- Fosses^ St* 
AmablC; and St. Esprit, Young Den- 



( 177 ) 

nis was present at some of the mas^e:^ 
>vhich were said at St Maur; but he 
declared that he shoukl not be cured 
until Friday 26th of June, on his re- 
turn from St. Maur, As he was going- 
into the room, liaving the key in his 
pocket, lie found the shepherd seated 
in his arm cliair, with his crook and 
two dogs; he was the only one that 
saw him, no other person in the house 
perceived him; he said that the mau 
called himself Damis. lie saw him 
during the whole of that day, and all 
the following night. About six in 
the evening, being in his usual fits, 
he fell upon the floor, screaming out 
that the shepherd v.as upon him, and 
crushing liim ; at tliat very moment 
he drew out his knife and cut the face 
of the shcpcard severely in fi\e})laces, 
and left the marks perhaps for e\er. 

The 



( 178 ) 

The patient said to tho^e who were 
watching him^ that he was going to have 
five or six considerable fainting fits, 
which would agitate him violently^ and 
begged them to assist him. The thing 
happened just as he had predicted. 

On Friday the 26th of June^ Mr. 
Dennis having gone to mass at St. Maur, 
told every body that he should be cured 
on that day. After mass the priest put 
the stole upon his head^ and recited the 
Evangelist according to St. John. Du^ 
ring this prayer the young man saw St. 
Maur standing up, and the unfortunate 
shepherd on his left with his face stream- 
ing with blood, which issued from the 
five wounds that he had given him with 
the knife. The young man instantly 
shrieked out involuntarily, O miracu- 
lous ! miraculous ! and exclaimed to all 

around 



( i'9 ; 

around him, he was cured; as he was 
in reality. 

On the 99th of June, the same Mr. 
Dennis jeturned to Noisy, and amused 
himself with the diversion of coursing: 
the dav following as he was sporting 
with his gun among the vines^ the shep- 
herd presented himself before him; he 
struck him with the butt end of his 
fowling piece; the shepherd exclaimed 
out, Oh ! vou have killed mc^ and (led. 
The next dav he again presented him- 
self to him; threw himself upon his 
Ivuees, asked his forgiveness, and said; 
^' I am called Damis: it was I who set 
the spell upon vou, which was to con- 
tinue for a vear: through the aid of 
the masses and pniyers that have been 
said for vn.;^ you have been cured in 
less than two months; but the spell is 

fallen 



( 180 ) 

fallen upon ine^ and nothing but some 
miracle will cure me; let me beg of you 
to pray for my disordered soul." 

In consequence of a report being 
spread abroad, the guards went in pur- 
suit of the shepherd, but he escaped; 
having destroyed his tw^o dogs and 
thrown away his crook. On Sunday the 
13th of September, he went to Mr. 
Dennis, and related to him his adven- 
ture; that after having been twenty 
years without approaching the sacra- 
ment, God had pardoned him through 
confessing at Troyes; and that after va- 
rious refusals, he had at last been admit- 
ted to the holv commanion. A week 
after this, Mr. Dennis received a letter 
from a w^oman who called herself a re- 
lation of the shepherd's, vWiich informed 
him of his death, and intrcated him to 

order 



I 



( 181 ) 

order a mass of reqitiem to be said for 
his departed soul; which was executed. 

This fact is related by the reverend 
father Le Brwu 



R On 



( 182 ) 

The ghost of a rcoman appears to her hus- 
band five years after her death to zcarii 
him of his future conduct. 

On Tuesday, the 1 1 th of December, 
1616, in the street of St. Genevieve, in 
the suburbs of Paris, a man named 
Mallebranche, a marker of the game of 
tennis, between four and five in the 
morning hearing an uncommon noise, 
and not knowing who could knock at 
his door so early, asked who it was : a 
feeble and incoherent voice replied it 
was his w^ife, (. who had been dead five 
years prior to that epochj who desired 
to speak to him, and tell him some- 
thing- that concerned him, as well for 
the safety of his soul as his private con- 
duct. The poor man, greatly as- 
tonished, knew not what asnwer to- 
make, laid silent, 

The 



( 1S3 ) 

The spectre then resumed with a 
louder tone, '' What, do not vou know 
that lam your wilb? I am come to 
inform you that unless vou do peni- 
tence, your soul will perish." 

As these circumstances are extraor- 
dinary, and can very seldom happen 
except the mind is troubled; the hus- 
band did not know what to do for the 
moment; however, after some inte val 
he heard a voice which spoke ^o him 
after the following manner: ^' You 
must not be astonished, it is your wife 
that speaks to you who has be^n o-^ad 
five years, three months, and ten dvys; 
Avho informs you that she is ^n ]• tn'- 
ture, from which it is In vour power to 
extricate her, if you have e\er loved 
j her; and if vou will ^o to St. Cloud 
li and olRn' up j.rayers for her with fne 
R 9 candles 



( 184 ) 

candles, for the faftey of her soul, yau 
will lighten yourself much.'" 

Whether the astonishment was too 
great for him, he was unable to ask a 
question, or even to reply; however^ 
after some contrasts that he had in his 
soul as a man who is well born, and 
strives zealously to procure the repose 
of his wife's soul, he went to St. Cloudy 
where he put up the offerings that she 
had recommended to him. 

Returning home one evening, and 
thinking himself at rest through having 
done what he had been commanded, ; 
he heard a knocking at his door, and i; 
asking at the same moment who it was, 
Jie distinguished some voice which said, 
' that she actually acknowledged that 
he loved and esteemed her since he had 

been 



( 185 ) 

been to St. Cloud, according to her 
request; but that (his was not enough, 
he must go there a second time, and 
then she should find repose. 

The report oi this aflair was so noi- 
sed about the cit\ , that on the Friday 
• following-, two ca])uchin friars were 
' sent for, as virtuous characters, and 
1 ^vho think of nothinc; but the simplicity 
of life. 

They saw^, considered and viewed at- 
tentively in their minds what this pro- 
\ digy might be, but having no other 
I certitude of the fact they advised the man 
" not to go again to St. Cloud, if he had 
no other omens of greater consequence^ 
I as the devil might have done it in order 
i to deceive him. 

I 

R 3 However 



( 186 ) 

However the marker had his usual 
visits paid by a knocking at his door^ till 
the Sunday following ; wearied out;, 
and pretending not to hear^ he dis- 
tinguished a voice that called out and 
enquired \vho was at home. 

He would not answer^ and made as 
though he were deaf; but the voice con- 
tinuing at the door^ his wife (being 
married a second time ( cried out, '" who 
is there ?" 

The voice replied as if it proceeded 
from a profound cavern. '' It is I wha 
wish to speak to my husband; I know 
very well that you are his present wife, 
but I have been so before you, and am 
not concerned on account of his mar- 
rying you after my decease; but as to the 
rest that he has to chastise himself, to 

acknowledge i 



( 187 ) 

acknowledge himself^ and more es- 
pecially to correct his bad habitudes, 
and to prevent him swearing anv more 
in the name of the sacred and holy God 
as he usually did; that he may live in 
comfort \s ith his family and all his neigh- 
:'Ours; bat more eipeclallv that he may 
not torment his children, or beat his 
wife, since (jod has permitted him to 
have another. 

Besides that I have one thing to re- 
commend him; that is before twelfth 
dav which will come very shortly, that 
he makes a great cake, and assembles 
all his neighbours to come and receive 
part of it; and that my share may be 
left, as I promised all my friends before 
mv death to spend twelfth night with 
them, but now I am not able, ho^ ever 
it is my wish it may be done, and after 

that 



( 188 ) 

that I shall be in repose. In fine, let 
my husband pray for me, and I will 
pray for him, as I am in great torture/' 

The Sunday following, we are not 
certain whether it was by the command 
of the lord cardinal bishop of Paris, in 
the evening- one of his gentlemen al- 
moners, wished to go and sleep there 
on purpose to view attentively the af- 
fair, and take care there was no im- 
posture. 

But lo! as curiosity commonly 
leads mankind, and more especially the 
French, to wish to see every kind of 
novelty, the house was very soon filled 
with visitors; at the same time they 
heard nothing, as the voice was silent 
that very morning( whether on account 
of the multitude or otherwise) and 
continued so ever after. 



( 189 ) 



J i/ouiig gcnthman icho sold himself to the 
\hviV 



A German gentleman Avhose name 
%vas Michael Le\vis, of the family of 
Boubenhoren^ having been sent at 
an early age by his parents to the duke 
of Lorraine's court, in order to learn 
French^ lost all his fortune at the game 
of cards. Reduced to despair^ he re- 
solved to give himself up to the devil, 

provided rhe evil spirit could or would 
furnisli him with some 2:ood monev, 
for he had no doubt but he ( ould fur- 
nish him with plenty of bad. As he 
was occupied with this thought, he saw 
suddenly a spec tre ap])car before him 
in the form of a \outh about his own 
a^e, well dressed and of a noble de- 
portment. 



( 150 ) 

portment, who having asked him the 
cause of his uneasiness, presented to 
him his hand full of money, and told 
him to see whether it was good. He 
told him to come to him on the next 
day. 

Michael returned to his friends, w^ho 
were still gaming; regained all the 
money he had lost, and won all that of 
his companions: he then returned to 
his demon, who asked him as a recom- 
pense three drops of his blood, which 
he received in the shell of an acorn ; 
then offering to Michael a pen, he told 
him to write what he should dictate. He 
dictated several unknown terms, which 
he ordered to be wrote upon two dif- 
ferent pieces of paper; the one of which 
remained in the custody of the demon, 
and the other was put into the arm of 

Michael, 






( 191 ) 

Michael, in the same place from whence 
the demon had drawn blood, when the 
specire said, '• I engage myself to serve 
you for five years, after which vou shall 
belons: to me w^ithout reserve." 



o 



The youth consented^ although with 
horror, and the demon failed not in ap- 
pearing to him day and night, under 
different shapes, and inspiring him with 
divers novel and entertaining amuse- 
ments; but always tending to evil. The 
fatal term of five years approached, 
when the voung gentleman had attained 
theatre of twentv. He went home a- 
gain to his lather's. The demon to 
whom he had sold himself, inspired him 
to poison his parents; to set their cha- 
teau on fire, and to destroy iiimself. He 
endeavoured to commit the whole of 
these crimes; God did not suffer him 

to 



( 192 ) 

to succeed; the pistol with which he 
attempted to shoot himself having mis- 
sed fire twice; nor did the poison ope- 
rate upon his parents. 

Every day more and more uneasy, 
he discovered to some of his father s 
servants the unhappy state in which he 
existed, and begged of them to procure 
him some assistance. Seeing him do 
this, the demon irritated, seized him 
by the neck and dashed him violently 
upon the ground. His mother who was 
of the heresy of suenfeld, and who had 
persuaded her son to the same prin- 
ciples, finding no assistance against the 
demon who possest or beset him, was 
obliged to put him into the hands of 
some monks of her acquaintance. How- 
ever he very soon deserted them and 
tied to Islada, from whence he was 

accompanied 



( 193 ) 

accompanied to Molshclm by his bro- 
ther, canon of ^^'ersbourg, wlio put 
lum under the care of the president of 
the society. 

Tlie demon at that period redoubled 
his revengeful efforts, appearing to 
him under the shape of ferocious ani- 
mals. One day amongst others, the 
demon under the form of a ^\'ild man 
and all shaggy, threw upon tlie ground 
a note or argreement riifJerent from 
tlic true one that he had extorted 
from the youth in order to try under 
tliis false appearance to sctlucc him 
from the hands of those wlio kept 
him, and prc\cnt him making his ge- 
neral confession. In fine, tlicy liad 
,so ordered for him to cro on the COth 
of Octoher ]6(y3, to the chapel of St, 
Ignatius, and take m ith him the ori- 
S giiial 



( !94 ) 

giual agreement he had made with the 
demon. The 5'oung gentleman made 
a profession there of the cathohc and 
orthodox faitli ; renounced the de- 
mon and received the holy eucharist. 
Then sending forth the most horrible 
shrieks, he said that he saw two 
spectres formed in the shape of goats 
of an micommon size, who standing 
upon their hind legs, held between 
their claws one of those notes or com- 
pacts. But as soon as the name of 
St. Ignatius was invoked by com- 
mencing the excrcism.s, the two goats 
instantly vanished: soon after this al- 
most without pain or leaving the 
least wound, the agreement started out 
of his arm and fell at the feet of the 
exorcist. 



Nothing was then wanting but the 



second 



f;econd compact, which remained in 
the demon's custody: the exorci>ims 
Tvere recommenced, St. Ignatius m as 
invoked, and mass Mas promised to 
be said in honour of the saint. But 
a few moments had elapsed, wlicn a 
hideous and horrible made stork ap- 
peared, who dropped from his beak 
the second note upon the altan 

Pope Paul y. i^avc orders for an en- 
quiry to be made concerning these 
tacts by the deputy commissioners, 
viz. 2\h\ Adam, elector of Strasljourg, 
and George, abbot of Altoft, when a 
great number of other witnesses who 
were interrogated judicially, and who 
affirmed, tliat the deliverance of this 
youth was principall\- due next to the 
Almighty's power, to the intercession 
of St. Ignatius. 

S '^ There 



( 196 ) 

There is now to be seen in the cha- 
pel of St. Ignatius, in the church of 
the Jesuits, a celebrated inscription, 
^vhich contains the history of this un- 
fortunate youth. 



The 



C '^97 y 



The Nhht Mare. 

ly a certain village of Moravin^ a 
woinaii liaving but recently died,- 
furnished with all her sacraments^ 
Mas interred in the church-yard in the 
in the usual manner. Four davs after 
her decease, the inhabitants of the 
village heard an extraordinary tumult, 
and saw a spectre which appeared 
sometimes under the form of a dog, 
sometimes under that of a human beingv 
not to one person alone but to several^ 
and putting them in violent tortures 
by pinching their throat and almost 
strangling them ; it penetrated and so 
disoidered them iin\ar(ily, that they 
were taken with violent faintin2.\s, and 



':5"> 



brought almost to the grave. 



Tile 



( J98 ) 

The spectre attacked even animals : 
cows have been often found emaci- 
ated and half-dead : sometimes it tied 
them tail to tail The animals by tlieir 
horrid belloAving, marked sufficiently 
the pain they felt Horses were fre- 
quently seen as if overwhelmed with 
fatigue, dripping with sweat, chiefly 
heated upon their backs, quite out of 
breath, covered with foam, as if they 
had been a long and painful journey^ 
These calamities lasted for several 
months^ 

This fact is m8.de mention of in a 
little work intitled, Magia Post- 
huma^ composed by Charles Ferdi- 
nand de Schutz, printed at Olmutz 
in 1706, dedicated to Prince Charles 
of Lorraine, bishop of Olmutz and 
Osnaburg, 

ThQ 



( m ) 



The Spirit of a Young ]\[an appearing to a 
Citrgymaii under r-irious a:cful sfiapcSy^ 
ajid at ei'trij lisiC juakts the most horrici 



Ix 17*^^0, a curate of the Jiocese of 
Constantia, named Bayer, liaving^ 
been elected to the curacy of 
Rutheim, was troubled about a 
month after by a spectre or evil 
geni, under the form of a deformed' 
peasant, miserably dressed, intoler- 
ably ugly, of an insupportable odour, 
">vho came knocking at his d< or in au 
insolent manner, and having taken 
bis station by the firc-side, said, 
that he had been sent on the part 
of an officer of the prince of Cen- 
stantia, his bisliop, on a certain com- 
mission, which he found a!)S(>!utely 
false. He tlxui asked him to eat; 

meat^ 



( 200 ) 

incat, bread, and wine was served up. 
He took the meat up with his two^ 
hands and devourecl it, bones and 
allj saying; ^^ Look how I eat meat 
and bones, let nie see you do so hke- 
wise?" He th^n took a goblet and 
swallowed it after his wine. After 
that he asked for another, which he 
served the same; and then retired 
without biddinr>; the curate one sin- 
gle adieu. The servant who con- 
ducted him to. the door, having 
asked him his name, he replied; 
'' I was born at Ilutsinge, and my 
name is George Raulin ;" which was 
all a fiction. As he was going down 
stairs, 1 c said, threatening the curate,, 
'' I will let you see who I am."^ 

He passed the remainder of the day 
in the village, shewing himself to 

every 



( 20] ) 

cveiy body. About twelve at night 
he went again to the cnrate's door, 
exclaiming three times with a hor- 
rible voice; ''Mr. Bayer;'' and ad- 
ding, " I will teach you mIiq I am." 
In fact, for the space of three years 
he went every day about 4 o'clock m 
the afternoon, and everj' night until 
break of dav. 

It appeared under various forms^ 
sometimes under the shape of a mas- 
tiff dog; at other's under that of a 
lion, or other formidable animals ; 
sometimes under the form of a man ; 
at others under that of a beautiful 
young lady ^vhile the curate was at 
table or in bed, seducing him to ini- 
pudicity; sometimes he made a noise 
over the whole house like a cooper 
heading of ca^ks; sometimes one 

would 



( 202 ) 

would have thoua,lit the whole fab- 
ric was falling to the ground. In 
order to have witnesses to all this 
the curate sent for the churchwar- 
dens, and others of the village, to be 
witness of the factr The spectre dif- 
fused throughout every place it went 
an insupportable odour. 

At length the curate had recourse 
to exorcisms, but they were of no 
effect; and as his being delivered 
from these vexations was almost 
despaired of, he was advised to- 
wards the expiration of the third; 
year, to furnish himself with a holy 
branch on Palm Sunday, and with a 
sword as holy to that effect, and to f | 
make use of them against the spectre. 
He did so once or twice, and since 
that time he was never molested. 

Thii^ 



■ 



( 203 ) 

T'nio is attested by a capucliin friar, 
who wa.s \v'itac>s to most part of the 
above, the i^£)th of August l7-i(). 



ne 



( 204 ) 

T//d Spectre of a Young Lady who was in the 
habit ofvisit'mg her sweetheart for the space 
of six months after she died. 

At Trallcs in Asia, one Mochates 
an innkeeper, cohabited with a young 
lady named Phihnnia, the daughter of 
Demostrates and Charista. After the 
decease of this unfortunate, she kept 
coining every night for the space of 
six months to see her gallant, to 
drink, to eat, and to sleep with him. 
One day the nurse of this young lady 
recognized her as she was sitting by 
Machatcs. She ran immediately to 
inform Charista of it, who after many 
objections went at lengtli to the inn; 
but as it was very late, and every 
body gone to bod, she was unable to 
satisfy her curiosity. Slie went again 
the next morning, when Machates 

related 



( C05 ) 

related to Iilm' every circunistance; 
that since a certain time she had 
visited him every night, and as a 
proof of Avhat he said, he opened a 
little box and shcMcd her a brilliant 
ring, that Philinnia had given to him, 
and the veil with which she covered 
her bosom, that she had left the 
night preceding. 



Chari^^ta beins; no lon^fcr able to 
doubt the veracity of the fact, gave 
herself up to >hricks and tears; but as 
she Mas promised to Ve informed on 
tlie following* evcnluG: when Philinnia 
should be there again, she returned 
home. The daughter appeared at lier 
usual hour, when Macliates sent im- 
mediately to cipprize her parents; tor 
he beu'an to fear le.^t s(nne other 
young lady had assunjcd the dios ot 
riiilinnia in (;rder to delude him. 

T Pemo^trates 



( 206 ) 

Demostrates and Charista having 
arrived, recognized their daughter 
and ran to embrace her; Avhen she 
exclaimed ; *^ Oh, my beloved parents, 
'why did you envy my happiness by 
preventing me living yet three days 
longer with my adored friend, as I 
did no harm to any one; as it was 
impossible for me to come here with- 
out the permission of the gods, (that 
is to say of the Demon, since we can* 
not attribute a miracle like this to 
God, nor any of his angel spirits) 
your curiosity will cost me dear 
enough." — So saying she fell lifeless 
upon the bed. 

Phlegon affranchised by the empe- 
ror Adrien, who had held a consider- 
able office in the town, silenced the 
crowd and prevented a tumult. The 

day 



t 



( 207 ) 

day following the people being assem- 
bled at the theatre, tliey agreed to go 
and visit the tomb iiiM'hicli Phihnnia 
reposed. The departed relics of her 
family were all found arranged in their 
proper places, but the corse of Phi- 
linia was not there; nothing was dis- 
covered but a diamond ring that had 
been given to her by ]\Iachates, and a 
golden cup that she had likewise re- 
ceived from him. After this they re- 
turned to the residence of ^lacliates, 
where the young lady's corse w^as still 
lying on the ground, 

A magician was consulted, who said 
that it v/as necessary for her to be in- 
terred out of the limits of the city, 
to appease the furies and terrestrial 
merci::e, to perform funeral obsecpiies 
to the iVianes of the gods, and satisfy 
T 2 Jupiter 



( 208 ) 

Jupiter the hospitaler to Mercury atid 
Mars. — Phlegonadds, speaking to the 
person to whom he writes, "should you 
think proper to hiform the emperor of 
it write to me, in order that I may 
send you one of those who. was wit- 
ness of the above^ 



A wonder 






( 209 ) 



A Konderfiil and horrid Spectre that ap^ 
pearcd to John I h lias. Sir d\'Indigiii/s 
servant y on the \st of January \(yl3 in 
tht suburbs of St, Germain, The recital 
is hif Sir d'Audi^ucr hiniself. 

Last Sunday being tlic 1st of Ja- 
nuary, tliat having gone to the tem- 
ple of Notre Dame about four in the 
afternoon, to speak to the chief peni- 
tentiarist concerning; the convesion of 
John llchas mv servant, and liaviuii' 
seized the moment and resohition to 
instruct liim before he al>jured liis 
error in order that l\c might know 
why he quitted his heresy and em- 
braced the true rehgion ; I went to 
pass the remainder of the day with 
Doctor Saint Toy, who resided very 
near me. I scut my serva^)t before 

ami 



( 210 ) 

and retired after him about six 
o'clock. 

Oil my arrival I called my servant 
before I Avent up stairs ; he made no 
reply : I asked if he was not in the 
stable, no one could inform me. I 
went up into my room lighted by a 
femme de chambre^ and found the 
two doors shut, the two keys were 
notwithstanding in the locks. On en^ 
entering the first room I called my 
servant a second time, no one answer- 
ed ; on turning myself round I found 
him in a reclining posture by the fire, 
with his head leaning agamst the 
wall, his eyes and mouth apen in full 
conversation with himself, but with 
50 much loquacity that one w^ord did 
not wait for another. '^ I will do no 
such thing/' said he, *' it is in vain 

for 



( 211 ) 

for you to propose it, I will serve ho 
such master as you, I will surrender, 
I will surrcnder/^ — At first I thought 
he was seduced and was not inclined 
to be my servant any longer, hearing 
him say that he did not wish for such 
a master, but hearing him keep say- 
ing, ^'I will do no such thing, it is in 
vain for you to propose it, I will sur- 
render." — I thought he was inebriated 
and touching him with my foot, I said, 
arise drunkard, lie only lifted up his 
eyes dejectedly, for though they were 
open he had them cast mournfully to- 
^'ards the ground, and as to his body 
he was unaule to move it for a consi- 
derable lime, and r^Tovering from a 
senseless langour that had deprixed 
him of his speech, he said : " Oh Sir, 
I am ruined, I am dead ; the devil 
has been ju.^t this moment wanting to 

take 



( 212 ) 

fake me with him." Still I conceived 
he had only seen this vision in his 
sleep; but, '' No, no," said he, ^Mie 
has been here twice, the first time I 
was in the ward-robe with a candle in 
my hand, when he asked me if I 
wished to leave him. As I was going 
lip stairs, I called to my remembrance 
the late Sir Charles, (he went often 
to the house a few days before his 
death) ; and just as I passed th? se* 
eond chamber I recollected the painter^ 
(that was the late Porbus, who died 
in the house the preceding year), and 
after that it occurred suddenly to my 
ideas, what should I do if the devil 
was to come in order to prevent my 
being a catholic; no sooner had I 
said this, but he appeared before me, 
and so close tliat theie was no room 
between us for a third." He adds, 

that 



( 213 ) 

that he cast his eyes upon him and 
seeing him as black as he really is, l>c 
asked him, *^ who arc you?'' When 
the devil replied, '" I am your mas- 
ter.'' — '' My master/' said he, " does 
not look like you — he wears a 
"white frill and gold lace upon his 
cloaths ;" a pretty servant not to 
know his master from the devil, but 
through his frill and tinsel on his 
cloaths, wliich could be but a small 
clistioction in rcijard to his features ! 
but tlmt was liis mode of judgment. — 
^* I am not the master whom you 
serve at present," said the devil, 
'^ but I am he whom you have served 
shice you came into the world/' — l\Iy 
servant then made the sign of the 
cross, saying, '^ In the name o-f the 
Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost^ 
good Virgin Mary be my aid '/' — the 

spectre 



( 214 ) 

spectre disappeared. Jle said that, 
seeing him thus black all over, with- 
out a frill or collar to his coat, accord- 
ing to his ideas he conceived it an 
evil spirit. And observe, that being 
alone and night, in a spacious house 
and no other person in it but myself 
who was in another room, he was not 
frightened without a cause, to see 
himself in a third room in company 
with the devil* 

The beginning of this discourse 
made me more attentive to hear the 
end. In consequence of Avhich, I 
commanded him to proceed, when he 
resumed, that havingentered theroom> 
shut the doors after him and lighted 
a fire; he seated himself beside it 
and took his rosary from his pocket 
in order to count his beads ; but wish- 
ing 



( 21.5 > 

ing to be less ciKiiinhered, he put it 

in ao-aiii and reclined liis head au:aiust 

the cluninev, tliroun'li whicli means 

he saw a burnino; coal under the ^Tatc 

when tliat instant a \ oiee exclahiied, 

'' Well ! you mean to leave me then r" 

He said* that at first he thou ;'ht it 

was me who spoke to him, and that 

some one had told me that lie did 

not wish to l:e any longer in my ser- 

vice; ''Pardon me Sir/' replied lie, 

^' \vho has toid vou that?" — " I have 

obocrved it/' s^id the devil, '^ as you 

somcti'nv's go t<; cliurch/' — '' Mliy 

so/' replied my ser^'ant ; seeing him 

right bcibrehitii s^v^i] recognizing him, 

^^ are vou still thcT? I tliought you 

were gone/ — -''] hit wljy?" said the 

devil, ^' do ^•()u wi-li to leave me? 

I am so ,L>ood a master, you have 

served me so long, I have a great 

many 



( 216) 

many others in my service, I can do 
as much for you ; tell me what pro- 
fession you will be, you shall learn it ; 
if you have no desire to know any 
you shall go as fine as any lord in 
Paris ; you shall live in any style you 
wish ; stop, there is some money, take 
as much as you please;" he then 
stooped down and counted out more 
money than a hat would hold, ear- 
nestly pressing him to take some in 
the most fascinating and seductive 
language. *^ But this is no command 
of God's," said my servant, ^' I have 
nothing to do with you nor youT mo- 
ney neither, (lie said that he saw no 
cross,) alihougli I have served you so 
long, you have badly recompensed 
me for it; I now shall take my leave 
of you and enter the service of my 
God." So saying, it is very remark- 
able 



(217) 

5ible that he liastcned to say as nnicli 
as possible fearing the (le\'il slionld 
overpower him in Mords, and gain 
the vietory ; but what is more, that 
^vhei^ tlie devil saw that he could 
not tempt him by tlie alnmdanee of 
his money, lie wanted to seduce him 
^v'ith a part, begging him to take a 
crown or any thing, representing to 
Lim his poverty. '' But I Avill not 
have any, I m ill not have any," said 
lie, ^' God Vvill give me some,'' with 
a constancy that marked a great pmuf 
of his vocation. '' Do vou i)Ui vour 
trust in God?'' said the devil: ''all 
tliose M'ho serve him are very poor, 
you \\ill live and die miscrribk.*.'' 
Thus seeing that nothing could move 
him, lie added twice, " }'ou >h'A[ vr- 
pent for it.*' The servrait said tliat 
at first he was terrified at the tlircat, 
U l)ut 



(218 ) 

but comforted by a marvellous assist- ^ 
ance from Gocl, he said, '' I have 
done notliing to you, it is impossible 
for you to hurt me." I have here 
copied the precise w^ords of their con- 
versation, except anotlier m.alice which 
the demon had, seeing that the other 
would have none of his money, he 
wanted to get possession of his ro- 
sary; he did not call it a rosary, but, 
'' those beads,'' said he, ^^ that you 
have in your pocket, let me beg of 
you to give them to miC." Observe 
his artfulness, he wished him either 
to receive or give, in order to seduce 
him by some means or other, and to 
contract a second time anew alliance. 
However being still refused that, he 
beo'ijcd at least to throw them in the 
fne before him, representing to him 
that thev were useless bracelets that 

ladies 



I 



( 119 ) 

ladies commonly wore around tlieir 
arms and necks. Observe in liow many 
forms this Prothcus transformed him- 
self to deceive the unfortunate youth, 
by how many different methods he 
attacked him. As to n)yself, I must 
confess this confirms me greatly in all 
the points of the catholic religion; 
still God be thanked, I do not doubt 
of any ; but more particularly as to 
the virtue of the rosary, or I should 
not have much devotion now. But 
mind the frequent repetition of my 
servant, '' it is no command of the 
Almio;htv's — I will do no such thins:, 
it is all in vain, I will not have such 
a master as you, I will surrender, I 
will suiJendcr, you shall not prevent 
nie; upon this I entered the room 
v/ithout his knowledge, and wlicn he 
perceived mc first, he thought I had 
U 2 been 



( 220 ) 

been the devil going to strangle him, 
or carry him away; for I have still 
omitted that he persuaded him a long 
time to go with him, so that at the 
commencement he took the devil for 
me, and in the end he took me for the 
devil. 



After he had related to me all thi5. 
I asked him Avhether he could not re- 
present to me the form that the devil 
had assumed, and if he had not seen 
any one whom it resembled. He said 
that he had never seen any thing of 
the like, and that he had beheld him 
twice under different forms ; the first 
at tlie wardrobe, when it seemed as if 
his shape was smaller, and his features 
more human, and less deformed than 
the second, which was in the ^'oom, 
where he appeared to him much more 

kideous, 



^ 



( 221 ) 

hideous, having tlic countenance and 
shape of a great black man Avithout a 
beard, liis teeth similar to tlic tusks of 
a wild boar, bis nose very hirge and 
picked, bent, and turned up again, 
liis nails exceedingly sharp and long, 
Avhich he liad observed whilst he was 
counting his money. He often said 
that he wanted to make the sign of 
the cross, but tbat he could not lift 
lip his hand. 

Since that time having asked liim 
if he bad never seen any visions, he 
told me that when he was in tbe ser- 
vice of a knigbt of Malta, whose 
name Avas Tallonniere, and returning 
one evening from Angouleme to Cog- 
nac, he saw sometbing black, that pre- 
sented itself in tbe road, but was un- 
able to discern it distinctly; and that 

last 



( 222 ) 

last summer being one evening at the 
same house very late, and lyhig upon 
his bed, I being m town, something 
came up to him that he did not see; 
it told him to get up and follow him 
down stairs, which he did into the 
garden; it made him extend himself 
upon the ground, when he raised up 
several devils of the most monstrous 
shapes around him; he said that he 
was so terrified, and fetched such a 
dreadful shriek, that another servant 
that I had ran to his assistance, with: 
the others that were in the house who 
wanted him to say the Jesus Mariay 
"but that he found impossible. 

Suffice rt now to say what happened 
to me ; for it is still a mark of his pre- 
destination. At the end of the siege 
of MontaubaU; a great number of va- 

let* 



( 2C3 ) 

lets "W^re dead and several good mas- 
ters, as well by di.sease as wan 
Amongst others I had lost seven, and 
was left alone with a conrrade who 
had been very ill, and who had only 
one vaiet to serve ns both. And as I 
had lost a servant the latter Ind lost 
his master. We met each athrr at a 
cross way, he coming from Aiontau- 
han, and I retiring from Picocc^s to 
my quarters; and as tiie one Avas look- 
hig for a master the other for a vaict, 
we Vrcre both of us very happy ta 
meet vith each other. A fe^v days^ 
after, the siege having been raised, I 
retired to my father's, where I nic-de a 
sojouj'n of three months, after an a!- 
sence of eighteen years. And con"»,e 
next Christmas it is a tuxlvLmonih. 
since I enquired inio hi^ religion* ^ 
confessed he Mas a Kci'ormist, a: 

thou^ij. 



( 224 ) 

though I did not lose the hope of see- 
ing him abjure it, I could notwith- 
standing get nothing out of him. 
I did not wish to seem to press him, 
but waited till God, by his divine 
providence, should turn his heart 

Since being in this city, I made 
him speak to the Jesuits, and to the 
chief penitentiarist; but in despight 
of my endeavours, he never could 
take the resolution till this moment. 
Thus the devil never attempted to 
dissuade him from it until he saw he I 
Avas resolved ; and what prevented m 
him forming. an earlier resolution, was 
on account of the minister of ]\farton, 
Avho had instructed him in his heresy: 
teaching in this city last year, lie saw 
him son»etimes unknown to me, and 
entertained him ia the same error in 

Avhich 



( 225 ) 

which he had brought him up, telling 
him always that he should take care 
not to become a Catholic, although 
he afterwards became one himself; 
but that Avas in order to 2:aiu a law- 
suit that he had in this country 
against a priest of St. Savior, after 
which he made it his business ta 
change his cassocks 

But returning to ray valet, I will yet 
say a few words which will mark a 
very peculiar instance of the provi- 
dence of God. Being quite young, 
his father, who is a Surgeon of Mar- 
ton, frequently chastised him, in or- 
der to force him to go to the minister 

of whom we have just been speaking; 
however he stole away the more often 
to go to hear the priests. Some one 
bavins: c^ivcn him an jJ'vihs Dei. he 

was 



i 226 ) 

was found one day by his father, who 
having corrected him as visual, threw 
the Agnus m the fire. He said that it 
was about four hours before it was 
consumed, although his father threw 
upon it above a dozen little faggots, 
and that he said to him, *' Father, you 
will make us both be boiled in the 
same cauldron ; chastise me as often as 
you please, and return me the Agnus 
Deiy or throw me into the fire after it. 

Being at Rochelle, they made him 
eat fish all the week excepting Friday, 
when they wanted to oblige him to 
eat meat; and though he was at that 
time a Hugunot, he would not do it, 
choosing rather to have nothing but 
bread, and suffer the rest to deride 
him, saying, that " he ought to have 
a pike or a sole bought for him/' 

I have 



( 227 ) 

I have mentioned this, as it seems 
to me that the ahovc are as so many 
marks of an extraordinary vocation, 
and by so iniicli the more great, as the 
person Avas ycvy young; thinking hke- 
^vise that the Ahnig'hty suliercd him 
to sec this last vi>»ion to confirm him 
in the desire that he had ingenuously 
conceived to be converted, as he has 
been incessantly since that period pres- 
sing me for it, instead of whicli I for- 
merly used to be pressing him ; at the 
time wishing me to strike two blows 
with one stone, affecting me in my 
morals as it did him in his religion, or 
to say rather, in his heresy, and to 
oblige me to render this true testimo- 
ny tliat I owe to the glory of his name, 
and to the edification of my neigli- 
hour. 

The 



< 228 ) 



The spectre of a shepherd that appeared to 
several persons^ when after having called 
thtm hxj their nameSy they died on that day 
week ensui7ior. 



9 



A PASTOR of the village of Blo\v, 
near the city of Kadam, in Bohemia, 
appeared some time, and called certain 
persons, Avho all died about a ^yeek af- 
terwards. The peasants of Blow inter- 
red the corse of this pastor and fixed 
him in tlie earth with a hedge stake, 
which they drove through his body. 

Finding himself in this situation, he 
used to lau^li at those who had thus 
treated him, and told them they were 
\xry kind to give him a stick in that 
manner to defend himself against the 
dogs. That very night he arose and 
frightened several people, and stran- 
gled 



fim^i 



( 229 ) 

g-led Pi, great many more, wlilch lie 
liad never done till then. They tlieu 
-delivered him to the executioner, who 
put him into a cart, in order to carry 
him out of the city and burn him. 

The body, although sometime dead, 
howled like a monster, and moved its 
feet and hands like unto one li\liig; 
and when they began to dissect it 
with a knife a great quantity of blood 
gushed out. In fine they burnt it, and 
this execution put an end to the 
apparitions and infestations of tlic 
spectre. 



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